FANTOMAS 

THE  EXPLOITS 'OF  JOVE 


PIERRE  SOUVESTRE 

AND 

MARCEL    ALLAIN 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

IN  MEMORY  OF 
MRS.  VIRGINIA  B.  SPORER 


THE   EXPLOITS 
OF  JUVE 


EXPLOITS  OF  JUVE 

BEING  THE  SECOND  OF  THE  SERIES 

OF   THE    "FANTOMAS" 

DETECTIVE  TALES 


BY 

EMILE   SOUVESTRE 

AND 

MARCEL  ALLAIN 


NEW  YORK 

BRKNTANO'S 

1917 


COPYRIGHT,  1917,  BY  BRENTANO'S 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    THE  COMRADES'  TRYST i 

II.     ON   THE   TRACK 14 

III.  BEHIND  THE  CURTAIN 22 

IV.  A  WOMAN'S  CORPSE 33 

V.  Lou  PART'S  ANGER      .               ...     42 

VI.  THE  LARIBOISIERE  HOSPITAL  ...  50 

VII.  A  REVOLVER  SHOT 58 

VIII.  THE  SEARCH  FOR  THE  CRIMINAL  .  .  64 

IX.  IN  THE  REFRIGERATORY  ....  70 

X.  THE  BLOODY  SIGNATURE  ....  75 

XI.  THE  SHOWER  OF  SAND  ......     81 

XII.  FOLLOWING  JOSEPHINE 90 

XIII.  ROBBERY;  AMERICAN  FASHION       .     .     99 

XIV.  FLIGHT  THROUGH  THE  NIGHT      .     .   107 
XV.  THE  SIMPLON  EXPRESS  DISASTER  .     .113 

XVI.  A  DRAMA  AT  THE  BERCY  WAREHOUSE  118 

XVII.  ON  THE  SLABS  OF  THE  MORGUE  .     .   131 

XVIII.     FANTOMAS'  VICTIM 142 

XIX.  THE  ENGLISHWOMAN  OF  BOULEVARD 

INKERMANN 147 

XX.  THE  ARREST  OF  JOSEPHINE      .     .     .153 

XXI.  AT  THE  MONTMARTRE  FETE       .        .        .165 

XXII.  THE  PUGILIST'S  WHIM      .     .     ...    ...  176 


2041688 


VI 


EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIII.  "STATE'S  EVIDENCE" 185 

XXIV.  A  MYSTERIOUS  CLASP 192 

XXV.    THE  TRAP 204 

XXVI.  AT  THE   HOUSE   OF   BONARDIN,  THE 

ACTOR     .           212 

XXVII.  THE  MOTHER  SUPERIOR      ....  222 

XXVIII.    AN  OLD  PARALYTIC 230 

XXIX.  THROUGH  THE  WINDOW     ....  238 

XXX.    UNCLE  AND  NEPHEW 245 

XXXI.  LOVERS  AND  ACCOMPLICES  ....  256 

XXXII.  THE  SILENT  EXECUTIONER      .     .     .  268 

XXXIII.  A  SCANDAL  IN  THE  CLOISTER  .      .     .  280 

XXXIV.  FANTOMAS'  REVENGE 291 


EXPLOITS  OF  JUVE 


THE  COMRADES'  TRYST 
"A  bowl  of  claret,  Father  Korn." 

The  raucous  voice  of  big  Ernestine  rose  above 
the  hubbub  in  the  smoke-begrimed  tavern. 

"Some  claret,  and  let  it  be  good,"  repeated 
the  drab,  a  big,  fair  damsel  with  puckered  eyes 
and  features  worn  by  dissipation. 

Father  Korn  had  heard  the  first  time,  but  he 
was  in  no  hurry  to  comply  with  the  order. 

He  was  a  bald,  whiskered  giant,  and  at  the 
moment  was  busily  engaged  in  swilling  dirty 
glasses  in  a  sink  filled  with  tepid  water. 

This  tavern,  "The  Comrades'  Tryst,"  had  two 
rooms,  each  with  its  separate  exit.  Mme.  Korn 
presided  over  the  first  in  which  food  and  drink 
were  served.  By  passing  through  the  door  at  the 
far  end,  and  crossing  the  inner  courtyard  of  the 
large  seven-story  building,  the  second  "den"  was 

i 


2  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

reached — a  low  and  ill-lit  room  facing  the  Rue  de 
la  Charbonniere,  a  street  famed  in  the  district  for 
its  bad  reputation. 

At  a  third  summons,  Father  Korn,  who  had 
sized  up  the  girl  and  the  crowd  she  was  with, 
growled : 

"It'll  be  two  moons;  hand  over  the  stuff  first." 

Big  Ernestine  rose,  and  pushing  her  way  to  him, 
began  a  long  argument.  When  she  stopped  to 
draw  a  breath,  Korn  interposed: 

"It's  no  use  trying  that  game.  I  said  two  francs 
and  two  francs  it  is." 

"All  right,  I  won't  argue  with  a  brute  like  you," 
replied  the  girl.  "Everyone  knows  that  you  and 
Mother  Korn  are  Germans,  dirty  Prussians." 

The  innkeeper  smiled  quietly  and  went  on  wash- 
ing his  glasses. 

Big  Ernestine  glanced  around  the  room.  She 
knew  the  crowd  and  quickly  decided  that  the  cash 
would  not  be  forthcoming. 

For  a  moment  she  thought  of  tackling  old 
Mother  Toulouche,  ensconced  in  the  doorway  with 
her  display  of  portugals  and  snails,  but  dame 
Toulouche,  snuggled  in  her  old  shawl,  was  fast 
asleep. 

Suddenly  from  a  corner  of  the  tavern,  a  weary 
voice  cried  with  authority: 

"Go  ahead,  Korn,  I'll  stand  treat." 


FANTOMAS  3 

It  was  the  Sapper  who  had  spoken. 

A  man  of  fifty  who  owed  his  nickname  to  the 
current  report  that  he  had  spent  twenty  years  in 
Africa,  both  as  a  soldier  and  a  convict. 

While  Ernestine  and  her  friends  hastened  to 
his  table,  the  Sapper's  companion,  a  heavily  built 
man,  rose  carelessly  and  slouched  off  to  join  an- 
other group,  muttering: 

"I'm  too  near  the  window  here." 

"It's  Nonet,"  explained  the  Sapper  to  Ernes- 
tine. "He's  home  from  New  Caledonia,  and  he 
doesn't  care  to  show  himself  much  just  now." 

The  girl  nodded,  and  pointing  to  one  of  her 
companions,  became  confidential.  "Look  at  poor 
Mimile,  here.  He's  just  out  of  quod  and  has  to 
start  right  off  to  do  his  service.  Pretty  tough." 

The  Sapper  became  very  interested  in  the  con- 
versation. Meanwhile  Nonet,  as  he  crossed  the 
tap-room,  had  stopped  a  few  moments  before  a 
pretty  girl  who  was  evidently  expecting  some  one. 

"Waiting  again  for  the  Square,  eh,  Josephine?" 
Nonet  inquired. 

The  girl,  whose  big  blue  eyes  contrasted  strik- 
ingly with  her  jet  black  hair,  replied: 

"Why  not?  Loupart  doesn't  think  of  quitting 
me  that  I  know  of." 

"Well,  when  he  does  let  me  know,"  Nonet  sug- 
gested smilingly. 


4  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Josephine  shrugged  her  shoulders  contemptu- 
ously, and,  glancing  at  the  clock  above  the  bar, 
rose  suddenly  and  left  the  tap-room. 

She  went  rapidly  down  the  Rue  Charbonniere 
and  along  the  boulevard,  in  the  direction  of  the 
Barbes  Metropolitan  Station.  On  reaching  the 
level  of  the  Boulevard  Magenta,  she  slackened 
and  walked  along  the  right-hand  pavement  toward 
the  centre  of  Paris. 

"My  little  Jojo!" 

The  girl  who,  after  leaving  the  tavern,  had 
assumed  a  quiet  and  modest  air,  now  came  face 
to  face  with  a  stout  gentleman  with  a  jovial  face 
and  one  gleaming  eye,  the  other  eye  being  per- 
manently closed.  He  wore  a  beard  turning  grey 
and  his  derby  hat  and  light  cane  placed  him  as 
belonging  to  the  middle  class. 

"How  late  you  are,  my  adored  Jojo,"  he  mur- 
mured tenderly.  "That  accursed  workshop  been 
keeping  you  again  after  hours  ?" 

The  mistress  of  Loupart  checked  a  smile. 

"That's  it!"  she  replied,  "the  workshop,  M. 
Martialle." 

The  man  addressed  made  a  warning  gesture. 

"Don't  mention  my  name  here;  I'm  almost 
home."  He  pulled  out  his  watch.  "Too  bad;  I'll 
have  to  go  in  or  my  wife  will  kick  up  a  row. 
Let's  see,  this  is  Tuesday;  well,  Saturday  I'm  off 


FANTOMAS  5 

to  Burgundy  on  my  usual  half-monthly  trip. 
Meet  me  at  the  Lyons  station,  platform  No.  2, 
Marseilles  express.  We  won't  be  back  till  Mon- 
day. A  delightful  week-end  of  love-making  with 
my  darling  who  at  last  consents  .  .  .  What's 
that!" 

The  stout  man  broke  off  his  impassioned  ha- 
rangue. A  beggar,  emerging  from  the  darkness, 
importuned  him : 

"Have  pity  on  me,  kind  sir." 

"Give  him  something,"  urged  Josephine. 

The  middle-aged  lover  complied  and  tenderly 
drew  away  the  pretty  girl,  repeating  carefully  the 
details  of  the  assignation: 

"Lyons  Station;  a  quarter  past  eight.  The 
train  leaves  at  twenty  to  nine." 

Then  suddenly  dropping  Josephine's  arm: 

"Now,  sweetheart,  you'd  better  hurry  home  to 
your  good  mother,  and  remember  Saturday." 

The  outline  of  the  portly  personage  faded  into 
the  night.  Loupart's  mistress  shrugged  her  shoul- 
ders, turned,  and  made  her  way  back  to  the 
"Tryst,"  where  her  place  had  been  kept  for  her. 

At  the  back  of  the  tavern,  the  group  which 
Nonet  had  joined  were  discussing  strange  doings. 
"The  Bear,"  head  of  the  band  of  the  Cyphers,  had 
just  returned  from  the  courthouse.  He  brought 
the  latest  news.  Riboneau  had  been  given  ten 


6  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

years,  but  was  going  to  try  for  a  reduced  sen- 
tence. 

The  talk  suddenly  dropped.  A  hubbub  arose 
outside,  a  dull  roar  which  waxed  louder  and  louder. 
The  sound  of  hurrying  footsteps  mingled  with 
shrill  cries  and  oaths.  Doors  in  the  street 
slammed.  A  few  shots  were  fired,  followed  by  a 
pause,  and  then  the  stampede  began  again. 

Father  Korn,  deserting  his  bar,  warily  planted 
himself  at  the  entry  to  his  establishment,  his  hand 
on  the  latch  of  the  door.  He  stood  ready  to  bar 
entrance  to  any  who  might  try  to  press  in. 

"The  raid,"  he  warned  in  a  low  tone. 

His  customers,  glad  to  feel  themselves  in  safety, 
followed  the  vicissitudes  of  what  to  them  was  al- 
most a  daily  occurrence. 

First  came  the  frenzied  rush  of  the  "street 
walkers,"  deserted  by  their  sinister  protectors  and 
fleeing  madly  in  search  of  shelter  in  terror  of  the 
lock-up.  Behind  the  shrieking  herd  the  constables, 
in  close  ranks,  swept  and  cleared  the  street,  leav- 
ing no  corner,  no  court,  no  door  that  remained 
ajar  unsearched.  Then  the  whirl  swept  away,  the 
noise  died  down,  and  the  street  resumed  its  normal 
aspect:  drab,  weird  and  alarming. 

Father  Korn  laughed.  "All  they've  bagged  is 
Bonzville  !"  he  cried,  and  the  customers  responded 
to  his  merriment.  The  police  had  been  fooled 


FANTOMAS  7 

again.  Bonzville  was  a  harmless  old  tramp,  who 
got  himself  "jugged"  every  winter  on  purpose  to 
lay  up  for  repairs. 

The  passage  of  the  "driver"  had  caused  enough 
stir  in  the  tap-room  to  distract  attention  from  the 
entry  at  the  back  of  a  stoutly  built  man  with  a 
bestial  face,  known  by  the  title  of  "The  Cooper." 

Swiftly  he  passed  to  the  Beard's  table,  and, 
taking  the  latter  aside,  began: 

"The  big  job  is  fixed  for  the  end  of  the  week. 
On  my  way  back  from  the  station  I  saw  Josephine 
palavering  with  the  swell  customer.  .  .  ." 

Suddenly  the  Beard  stopped  him  short. 

The  general  attention  had  become  fixed  on  the 
street  entrance  to  the  tap-room.  The  door  had 
opened  with  a  bang  and  Loupart,  alias  "The 
Square,"  the  popular  lover  of  the  pretty  Josephine, 
came  on  the  scene,  his  eyes  gleaming,  his  lips  smil- 
ing under  his  upturned  moustache. 

Then  there  broke  out  cries  of  stupefaction. 
Loupart  was  between  two  policemen,  who  had 
stopped  short  in  the  doorway. 

The  Square  turned  to  them :  "Thank  you,  gen- 
tlemen," he  said  in  his  most  urbane  tone.  "I  am 
very  grateful  to  you  for  having  seen  me  this  far. 
I  am  quite  safe  now.  Let  me  offer  you  a  drink  to 
the  health  of  authority  !v 

However,  the  two  policemen  did  not  dare  to  en- 


8  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

ter  the  tavern,  so  they  briefly  declined  and  made 
off.  Josephine  had  risen,  and  Loupart,  after  press- 
ing a  tender  kiss  upon  her  lips,  turned  to  the  com- 
pany. 

"That  feazes  you,  eh !  I  was  just  heading  this 
way  when  I  ran  into  the  drive.  As  I'm  a  peace- 
ful citizen,  I  got  hold  of  two  cops  and  begged 
them  to  see  me  safely  home.  They  thought  I  was 
really  scared." 

There  was  a  burst  of  general  laughter.  No  one 
could  bluff  the  police  like  the  Square. 

Loupart  turned  to  Josephine :  "How  are  things 
going,  ducky?" 

The  girl  repeated  in  a  low  tone  to  her  lover  her 
recent  talk  with  M.  Martialle. 

Loupart  nodded  approvingly,  but  grumbled 
when  he  found  the  meeting  was  fixed  for  Satur- 
day. 

"Hang  the  fellow!  Must  hustle  with  all  the 
jobs  on  hand  this  week.  Anyway,  we  won't  let 
this  one  slip  by.  Plenty  of  shiners,  eh,  Josephine  ?" 

"You  bet.  He  carries  the  stuff  to  his  partners 
every  fortnight." 

"That's  first  rate,  but  in  the  meantime  there's 
something  doing  to-night.  Here,  kiddy,  take  a 
pen  and  scratch  off  a  letter  for  me." 

The  Square  dictated  in  a  low  voice: 

"Sir,  I  am  only  a  poor  girl,  but  I've  some  feeling 


FANTOMAS  9 

and  honesty  and  I  hate  to  see  wrong  done  around 
me.  Believe  me,  you'd  better  keep  an  eye  open 
on  some  one  pretty  close  to  me.  Maybe  the  police 
have  already  told  you  I  am  the  mistress  of  Lou- 
part,  alias  the  Square.  I'm  not  denying  it;  in  fact, 
I'm  proud  of  it.  Well,  I  swear  to  you  that  this 
Loupart  is  going  to  try  a  dirty  game." 

Josephine  stopped  writing. 

"Look  here,  what  are  you  at?" 

"Scribble,  and  don't  bother  yourself.  This 
doesn't  concern  you,"  replied  Loupart  drily. 

Josephine  waited,  docile  and  ready,  but  the 
Square's  attention  was  now  focussed  upon  Er- 
nestine, her  young  man  and  the  generous  Sapper. 

"Yes,"  Ernestine  was  explaining  to  Mimile 
while  the  Sapper  nodded  approvingly,  "the  Beard 
is,  as  you  might  say,  the  head  of  the  band  of 
Cyphers,  next  to  Loupart,  of  course.  To  belong 
to  the  Beard's  gang  you've  got  to  have  done  up 
at  least  one  guy.  Then  you  get  your  Number  i. 
Your  figure  increases  according  to  the  number  of 
deaders  you  have  to  your  credit." 

"So  then,"  inquired  Mimile,  with  eager  curios- 
ity, "Riboneau,  who  has  just  been  sentenced,  is 
called  number  'seven'  because  .  .  ." 

"Because,"  added  the  Sapper  in  his  serious 
voice,  "because  he  has  killed  off  seven." 

In  a  few  curt  questions  the  Square  posted  him- 


io  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

self  as  to  young  Mimile,  who  had  impressed  him 
favourably. 

Josephine  turned  to  Loupart:  "What  else 
am  I  to  put  in  the  letter?  Why  are  you 
stopping?" 

For  answer,  the  Square  suddenly  sprang  to  his 
feet,  seized  a  half-empty  bottle  and  flung  it  on  the 
floor,  where  it  broke.  This  act  of  violence  sent 
the  company  scattering,  and  Loupart  roared  out : 

"It's  on  account  of  spies  that  I'm  stopping !  By 
God!  When  are  we  going  to  see  their  finish? 
And  besides,"  he  added,  staring  hard  at  Ernestine, 
"I've  had  enough  of  all  this  nonsense;  better  clear 
out  of  here  or  there'll  be  trouble." 

Cunningly,  with  bloodshot  eyes,  her  fists 
clenched  in  fury,  but  humbly  submissive,  the  girl 
made  ready  to  comply.  She  knew  the  Square  was 
master,  and  there  was  no  use  standing  out  against 
his  will. 

The  Sapper  himself,  growling,  picked  up  his 
change,  little  disposed  to  have  a  row,  and  beckon- 
ing to  his  comrade,  Nonet,  effected  a  humble  exit 
under  cover  of  the  girl  Ernestine. 

Loupart' s  arm  fell  upon  the  shoulder  of  Mimile, 
who  alone  seemed  to  defy  Josephine's  formidable 
lover. 

"Hold  on,  young  *un,"  ordered  Loupart. 
"You  seem  to  have  some  nerve;  better  join  us." 


FANTOMAS  n 

Mimile's  eyes  lighted  up  with  joy. 

"Oh !"  he  stammered,  "Loupart,  you'll  take  me 
in  the  Cypher  gang?" 

"Maybe,"  was  the  enigmatic  reply.  Then  with 
a  shove  he  sent  the  young  man  to  the  back  of  the 
den.  "Must  go  and  talk  it  over  with  the  Beard." 
Without  paying  heed  to  the  thanks  of  his  new 
recruit,  Loupart  continued  his  dictation  to  Jose- 
phine. 

As  the  Sapper  and  Nonet  went  quickly  down  the 
Rue  Charbonniere,  Nonet  inquired: 

"Well,  chief,  what  do  you  think  of  our  eve- 
ning?" 

The  individual  that  the  hooligans  of  La  Cha- 
pelle  knew  by  the  nickname  of  the  Sapper,  and 
who  was  no  other  than  Inspector  Michel,  slowly 
stroked  his  long  beard : 

"Not  much,"  he  declared,  "except  that  we've 
been  bluffed  by  the  Square." 

"Why  not  round  up  the  bunch?"  suggested  No- 
net, who  was  known  as  Inspector  Leon. 

"It's  easy  enough  to  talk,  but  what  can  two 
do  against  twenty?  Who  wants  to  take  such  risks 
for  sixty  dollars  a  month?" 

In  the  meantime  Josephine  was  writing  at  the 
Square's  dictation: 

"I  know,  sir,  that  to-morrow  Loupart  will  be 
at  Garnet's  wine-shop  at  seven  o'clock,  which  you 


12  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

know  is  to  the  right  as  you  go  up  the  Faubourg 
Montmartre,  before  you  reach  the  Rue  Lamartine. 
From  there  he  will  go  to  Doctor  Chaleck's  to 
tackle  the  safe,  which  is  placed,  as  I  told  you, 
at  the  far  side  of  the  study,  facing  the  window, 
with  its  balcony  overlooking  the  garden.  I 
wouldn't  have  meddled  in  the  matter  except  that 
there'll  be  something  worse  regarding  a  woman. 
I  can't  tell  you  any  more,  for  this  is  all  I  know. 
Make  the  best  of  it,  and  for  God's  sake  never  let 
Loupart  know  the  letter  was  sent  to  you  by  the 
undersigned. 

"Very  respectfully," 

About  to  sign  her  name,  Josephine  looked  up, 
trembling  and  anxious. 

"What  does  it  mean,  Loupart?  You've  been 
drinking,  I'm  sure  you  have !" 

"Sign,  I  tell  you,"  calmly  replied  the  Square, 
and  the  girl,  hypnotised,  proceeded  to  trace  in  her 
large  clumsy  hand,  her  name,  "Josephine  Ramot." 

"Now  put  it  in  an  envelope." 

From  the  end  of  the  saloon  the  Beard  was  sig- 
nalling Loupart. 

"What  is  it?"  the  latter  cried,  annoyed  at  the 
interruption. 

The  Beard  came  near  and  whispered: 

"Important  business.     The  dock  man's  scheme 


FANTOMAS  13 

is  going  well — it'll  be  for  the  end  of  the  week, 
Saturday  at  latest." 
'In  four  days,  then?" 
"In  four  days." 

"All  right,"  declared  Josephine's  lover,  "we'll 
be  on  hand.    It'll  be  a  big  haul,  I  hear." 

"Fifty  thousand  at  least,  the  Cooper  told  me." 
Loupart  nodded,  waved  the  Beard  aside  and  re- 
sumed : 

"Address  it  to 

"Monsieur  Juve, 
"Commissioner  of  Safety, 
"At  the  Prefecture,  Paris." 


II 

ON  THE   TRACK 

The  daily  paper,  The  Capital,  was  about  to 
go  to  press.  The  editors  had  handed  over  the  last 
slips  of  copy  with  the  latest  news. 

"Well,  Fandor,"  asked  the  Secretary,  "noth- 
ing more  for  me?" 

"No,  nothing." 

"You  won't  spring  a  'latest'  on  me?" 

"Not  unless  the  President  of  the  Republic 
should  be  assassinated." 

"Right  enough.  But  don't  joke.  Lord,  there's 
something  else  to  be  done  just  now." 

The  "setter  up"  appeared  in  the  editor's  rooms: 

"I  want  sharp  type  for  'one,'  and  eight  lines 
for  'two.'  " 

Discreetly,  as  a  man  accustomed  to  the  business, 
Fandor  withdrew  on  hearing  the  request  of  the 
"setter  up,"  avoiding  the  searching  glance  of  the 
sub-editor,  who  forthwith  to  meet  the  demands  of 

14 


FANTOMAS  15 

the  paging,  called  at  random  one  of  the  reporters 
and  passed  on  the  order  to  him. 

"Some  lines  of  special  type;  eight  lines.  Take 
up  the  Cretan  question  on  the  Havas  telegrams. 
Be  quick!" 

Fandor  picked  up  his  hat  and  stick  and  left  the 
office.  His  berth  as  police-reporter  meant  a  con- 
stantly active  and  unsettled  existence.  He  was 
never  his  own  master,  never  knew  ten  minutes  be- 
forehand what  he  was  going  to  do,  whether  he 
might  go  home,  start  on  a  journey,  interview  a 
minister  or  risk  his  life  by  an  investigation  in  the 
world  of  thugs  and  cut-throats. 

"Deuce  take  it!"  he  cried  as  he  passed  the  office 
door  and  saw  what  the  time  was.  "I  simply  must 
go  to  the  courts,  and  it's  already  very  late.  ..." 
He  ran  forward  a  few  paces,  then  stopped  short. 
"And  that  porter  murdered  at  Belleville !  ...  If 
I  don't  cover  that  affair  I  shall  have  nothing  in- 
teresting to  turn  in.  .  .  ." 

He  retraced  his  steps,  looking  for  a  cab  and 
swearing  at  the  narrowness  of  the  Rue  Montmar- 
tre,  where  the  inadequate  pavements  forced  the 
foot  passengers  to  overflow  on  to  the  roadway, 
which  was  choked  with  costermongers'  carts,  heavy 
motor-buses,  and  all  that  swarm  of  vehicles  which 
gives  a  Paris  street  an, air  of  bustle  unequalled  in 
any  other  capital  in  the  world.  As  he  was  about 


1 6  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

to  pass  the  corner  of  the  Rue  Bergere,  a  porter 
laden  down  with  sample  boxes,  strung  on  a  hook, 
ran  into  him,  almost  knocking  him  down. 

"Look  where  you're  going!"  cried  the  journal- 
ist. 

"Look  out  yourself,"  replied  the  man  insolently. 

Fandor,  with  an  angry  shrug  of  his  shoulders, 
was  about  to  pursue  his  way,  when  the  man  stopped 
him. 

"Sir,  can  you  direct  me  to  the  Rue  du  Crois- 
sant?" 

"Follow  the  Rue  Montmartre  and  take  the  sec- 
ond turning  to  the  right." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  could  you  give  me  a  light?" 

Fandor  could  not  repress  a  smile.  He  held  out 
his  cigarette.  "Here;  is  that  all  you  want  to- 
day?" 

"Well,  you  might  offer  me  a  drink." 

Fandor  was  about  to  answer  sharply  when  some- 
thing in  the  man's  face  seemed  vaguely  familiar. 
He  was  about  sixty.  His  clothes  were  threadbare 
and  green  with  age,  his  shoes  down  at  the  heels, 
his  moustache  and  shaggy  beard  a  dirty  yellow. 

"Why  the  devil  should  I  stand  you  a  drink?" 

"A  good  impulse,  M.  Fandor." 

In  a  moment  the  man's  features  seemed  to 
change.  He  appeared  quite  a  different  person  and 
Fandor  recognised  who  was  speaking  to  him.  Ac- 


FANTOMAS  17 

customed  by  long  habit  to  conceal  his  impressions, 
the  journalist  spoke  nonchalantly: 

"All  right;  let's  go  to  the  'Grand  Charle- 
magne.' ' 

They  started  off  together,  reached  the  Fau- 
bourg Montmartre  and  entered  a  small  wine-shop. 
Having  taken  their  seats  and  ordered  drinks, 
Fandor  turned  to  the  porter. 

"What's  up?"  he  asked. 

"It  takes  you  a  long  time  to  recognise  your 
friends." 

Fandor  scrutinised  his  companion. 

"You  are  wonderfully  made  up,  Juve." 

On  hearing  his  name  mentioned,  the  man  gave 
a  start.  "Don't  utter  my  name !  They  know  me 
here  as  old  Paul." 

"But  why  the  disguise?  Who  are  you  after? 
Is  it  anything  to  do  with  Fantomas?" 

Juve  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Let's  leave  Fan- 
tomas out  of  it,"  he  said.  "At  least  for  the  mo- 
ment. No,  my  lad,  it's  a  very  commonplace  affair 
to-day,  and  I  wouldn't  have  bumped  into  you  ex- 
cept that  I  have  an  hour  to  while  away  and  wanted 
your  company." 

"This  disguise  for  a  commonplace  affair?"  cried 
Fandor.  "Come,  Juve,  don't  keep  me  in  the 
dark." 

Juve  laughed  at  his  friend's  eagerness. 


1 8  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"You'll  always  be  the  same.  When  it's  a  mat- 
ter of  detective  work,  there's  no  keeping  you  out 
of  it.  Well,  here's  the  information  you're  after. 
Read  that." 

He  passed  Fandor  a  greasy,  ill-written  letter. 
Fandor  took  it  in  at  a  glance. 

"This  refers  to  Loupart,  alias  the  Square?" 

"Yes." 

"And  you  call  it  a  commonplace  affair?  But, 
look  here,  can  you  trust  information  given  by  a 
loose  woman?" 

"My  dear  Fandor,  the  police  largely  depend 
upon  such  tips,  given  through  revenge  by  women 
of  that  class." 

"Well,  I'm  going  with  you." 

"No,  I  won't  have  you  mixed  up  in  this  busi- 
ness; it's  too  dangerous." 

"All  the  more  reason  for  my  being  in  it !  What 
is  really  known  about  this  Loupart?" 

"Very  little,  unfortunately,"  rejoined  Juve. 
"And  it's  the  mystery  surrounding  him  which 
makes  us  uneasy.  Although  he  has  been  involved 
in  some  of  the  worst  crimes,  he  has  always  man- 
aged to  escape  arrest.  He  is  supposed  to  be  one 
of  an  organised  gang.  In  any  case,  he's  a  resolute 
scoundrel  who  wouldn't  hesitate  to  draw  his  gun 
in  case  of  need." 

Fandor  nodded. 


FANTOMAS  19 

"His  arrest  will  make  bully  copy." 

"And  for  the  pleasure  of  writing  a  sensational 
story  you  want  to  put  your  life  in  peril  again!" 
Juve  smiled  sympathetically  as  he  spoke.  He  had 
known  the  young  journalist,  when,  scarcely  grown 
up,  he  had  been  involved  in  the  weird  affairs  of 
"Fantomas." 

Fandor  was  an  assumed  name.  Juve  recalled 
the  young  Charles  Rambert,  victim  of  the  mys- 
terious Fantomas,  the  most  redoubtable  ruffian  of 
modern  times,  whom  Juve  declared  to  be  Gurn 
and  still  alive,  although  Gurn  had  supposedly  died 
on  the  scaffold.  He  recalled  the  sensational  trial 
and  the  terrible  revelations  that  had  appalled  so- 
ciety. Gurn  he  had  then  affirmed  to  be  the  lover 
of  the  Englishwoman,  Lady  Beltham.  Gurn  it 
was  who  had  killed  her  husband,  and  Gurn  was 
no  other  than  Fantomas. 

He  recalled  the  tragical  morning  when  Gurn, 
in  the  very  shadow  of  the  scaffold,  had  found 
means  to  send  in  his  stead  an  innocent  victim,  Val- 
grand,  the  actor. 

"When  will  you  begin  to  draw  in  your  net?" 
inquired  Fandor. 

Juve  motioned  to  his  companion  to  be  silent  and 
listen. 

"Fandor,  you  hear  what  that  man's  singing;  the 
one  drinking  at  the  bar?" 


20  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Yes,  'The  Blue  Danube.'  " 

"Well,  that  gives  me  the  answer.  We  shall 
soon  be  on  Loupart's  tracks.  By  the  way,  are  you 
armed?" 

"If  you  won't  run  me  in  for  carrying  concealed 
weapons  I'll  confess  that  Baby  Browning  is  in  my 
pocket." 

"Good.  Now,  then,  listen  to  my  directions. 
Loupart  was  seen  at  the  markets  this  morn- 
ing by  two  of  my  watchers,  and  you  may 
be  sure  he  hasn't  been  lost  sight  of  since. 
Reports  I  have  received  indicate  that  he  will 
presumably  go  to  the  Chateaudun  cross-roads 
and  from  there  to  the  Place  Pigalle,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Doctor  Chaleck's  house.  We  shall  nab 
him  at  the  cross-roads.  Needless  to  say  we  are 
not  going  to  keep  together.  As  soon  as  our  man 
comes  in  sight  you  will  pass  on  ahead,  walking  at 
his  pace  on  the  same  pavement  and  without  turn- 
ing round." 

"And  if  Loupart  doesn't  appear?" 

"Why  then — "  began  Juve.  "The  deuce! 
There's  another  customer  whistling  'The  Blue 
Danube.'  It's  time  to  be  off." 

"Are  those  your  agents  whistling?"  asked  Fan- 
dor,  as  they  left  the  shop. 

"No." 

"What!  Isn't  it  a  signal?" 


FANTOMAS  21 

"It  is,  and  you'll  be  able  to  find  your  trail  by 
the  passers-by  who  whistle  that  air." 

While  talking,  the  journalist  and  the  detective 
arrived  at  the  Chateaudun  cross-roads.  Juve  cast 
an  eye  over  the  ground. 

"It's  six  o'clock.  Be  off  and  prowl  around 
Notre  Dame  de  Lorette.  Loupart  will  probably 
come  out  of  that  wine-shop  you  see  to  the  right. 
You  can  easily  recognise  him  by  his  height  and  a 
scar  on  his  left  cheek." 

"Look  here,  Juve,  why  should  these  people 
whistle  'The  Blue  Danube'  if  they  are  not  detec- 
tives?" 

Juve  smiled.  "It's  quite  simple.  If  you  whistle 
a  popular  tune  in  a  crowd,  some  one  is  bound  to 
take  it  up.  Well,  the  two  men  I  put  to  watching 
Loupart  this  morning  were  whistling  this  same 
tune,  and  now  we  are  meeting  persons  who  caught 
the  air." 

Fandor  crossed  the  road  and  proceeded  toward 
Notre  Dame  de  Lorette  to  the  post  the  detective 
had  allotted  to  him.  The  man  hunt  was  about  to 
begin. 


Ill 

BEHIND  THE   CURTAIN 

The  Cite  Frochot  is  shut  in  by  low  stone  walls, 
topped  by  grating  round  which  creepers  intertwine. 

The  entry  to  its  main  thoroughfare,  shaded  by 
trees  and  lined  with  small  private  houses,  is  not 
supposed  to  be  public,  and  a  porter's  lodge  to  the 
right  of  the  entrance  is  intended  to  enforce  its  pri- 
vate character. 

It  was  about  seven  in  the  evening.  As  the  fine 
spring  day  drew  to  a  close,  Fandor  reached  the 
square  of  the  Cite.  For  an  hour  past  the  journal- 
ist had  been  wholly  engaged  in  keeping  track  of 
the  famous  Loupart,  who,  after  leaving  the  sa- 
loon, had  sauntered  up  the  Rue  des  Martyrs, 
his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  a  cigarette  in  his 
mouth. 

Fandor  allowed  him  to  pass  at  the  corner  of  the 
Rue  Claude,  and  from  there  on  kept  him  in  view. 

Juve  had  completely  disappeared. 
22 


FANTOMAS  23 

As  Loupart,  followed  by  Fandor,  was  about  to 
enter  the  Cite  Frochot,  an  exclamation  made  them 
both  turn. 

Fandor  perceived  a  poorly  dressed  man  anx- 
iously searching  for  something  in  the  gutter.  A 
curious  crowd  had  instantly  collected,  and  word 
was  passed  round  that  the  lost  object  was  a  twenty- 
five-franc  gold  piece. 

Fandor,  joining  the  crowd,  was  pushed  close  to 
the  man,  who  quickly  whispered: 

"Idiot!     Keep  out  of  the  Cite." 

The  owner  of  the  gold  piece  was  no  other  than 
the  detective.  Then,  under  cover  of  loud  com- 
plaint, Juve  muttered  to  Fandor,  "Let  him  go! 
Watch  the  entrance  to  the  Cite!" 

"But,"  objected  Fandor  in  the  same  key,  "what 
if  I  lose  sight  of  him?" 

"No  fear  of  that.  The  doctor's  house  is  the 
second  on  the  right."  The  hooligan,  who  had 
for  a  moment  drawn  near  the  crowd,  was  now 
heading  straight  for  the  Cite. 

Juve  went  on:  "In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  the 
latest  join  me  again,  27  Rue  Victor  Masse." 

"And  if  Loupart  should  enter  the  Cite  in  the 
meantime  ?" 

"Come  straight  back  to  me.'* 

Fandor  was  moving  off  when  Juve  addressed 
him  out  loud:  "Thank  you,  kind  gentlemen!  But 


24  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

as  you  are  so  charitable,  give  me  something  more 
for  God's  sake." 

The  other  drew  near  the  pretended  beggar  and 
Juve  added: 

"If  anyone  questions  you  as  you  pass  through, 
say  you  are  going  to  Omareille,  the  decorator's; 
you'll  find  me  on  the  stairs." 

Some  moments  later  the  little  crowd  had  melted 
away  and  a  policeman,  arriving  as  usual  too  late, 
wondered  what  had  been  going  on. 

Fandor  carried  out  Juve's  instructions  to  the 
letter.  Hiding  behind  a  sentry  box  he  kept  an 
eye  on  the  doctor's  house,  but  nothing  out  of  the 
way  happened.  Loupart  had  vanished,  although 
he  was  probably  not  far  away.  When  the  fifteen 
minutes  were  up  Fandor  left  his  post  and  entered 
No.  27  Rue  Victor  Masse.  As  he  reached  the 
third  floor  he  heard  Juve's  voice : 

"Is  that  you,  lad?" 

"Yes." 

"The  porter  didn't  question  you?" 

"I've  seen  no  one." 

"All  right,  come  up  here." 

Juve  was  seated  at  a  hall  window  examining 
Doctor  Chaleck's  house  through  a  field  glass. 

"You've  not  seen  Loupart  go  in?"  he  inquired 
as  Fandor  joined  him. 

"Not  while  I  was  on  watch." 


FANTOMAS  25 

"It's  well  to  know  one's  Paris  and  have  friends 
everywhere,  isn't  it?"  continued  Juve.  "It  oc- 
curred to  me  quite  suddenly  that  this  might  be  an 
excellent  place  from  where  to  follow  citizen  Lou- 
part's  doings.  You  would  have  spoiled  everything 
if  you  had  followed  him  into  the  Cite.  That's 
why  I  devised  my  little  scheme  to  hold  you  back." 

"You  are  right,"  admitted  Fandor,  who,  the 
next  moment,  gave  a  jump  as  Juve's  hand  gripped 
him  hard. 

"Look,  Fandor!  The  bird  is  going  into  the 
cage !" 

The  journalist,  excited,  saw  a  figure  already 
familiar  to  him  in  the  act  of  slipping  into  the  little 
garden  which  separated  Dr.  Chaleck's  house  from 
the  main  thoroughfare. 

The  detective  went  on:  "There  he  goes,  skirt- 
ing the  house  until  he  reaches  the  little  door  hid- 
den in  the  wall.  What's  he  up  to  now?  Ah! 
He's  fumbling  in  his  pocket.  False  keys,  of 
course." 

They  saw  Loupart  open  the  door  and  make  his 
way  into  the  house. 

"What  comes  next?"  inquired  Fandor. 

"We  are  going  to  tighten  the  net  which  the  silly 
bird  has  hopped  into,"  rejoined  Juve,  as  he  bolted 
down  the  stairs,  and  added  as  a  precautionary 
measure:  "While  I  question  the  porter,  you  slip 


26  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

by  me  into  the  main  street.  I  have  every  reason 
to  believe  that  M.  Chaleck  has  been  absent  for 
two  days,  and  as  soon  as  I  get  this  information, 
I  shall  pretend  to  go  away,  and  then — the  rest  is 
my  concern." 

Juve's  program  was  carried  out  in  all  points. 

To  his  questions,  the  porter  replied : 

"Why,  sir,  I  can't  really  say.  I  saw  Doctor 
Chaleck  go  off  with  his  bag  and  I  haven't  seen  him 
come  back.  However,  if  you  care  to  see  for  your- 
self  " 

"No,  thanks,"  replied  Juve,  "I'll  return  in  a 
few  days.  But  look  out,  your  lamp's  flaring!" 

As  the  porter  turned  to  remedy  the  trouble, 
Juve,  instead  of  going  off  to  the  right,  quickly  fol- 
lowed the  direction  Fandor  had  taken  and  caught 
up  with  the  latter  just  outside  Doctor  Chaleck's 
house. 

"Now  for  our  plan  of  campaign,"  he  said. 
"It's  darker  now  than  it  will  be  later  when  the 
street  lamps  are  lit  and  the  moon  rises.  That  ex- 
cellent Josephine  sent  me  a  rough  plan  of  the 
house.  You  see  there  are  two  windows  on  the 
ground  floor  on  either  side  of  the  hall.  Natu- 
rally they  belong  to  the  dining-room  and  drawing- 
room.  The  window  to  the  right  on  the  first  floor 
is  evidently  that  of  the  bedroom.  On  the  left, 
this  window  with  a  balcony  belongs  to  the  study 


FANTOMAS  27 

of  our  dealer  in  death!  That's  where  we  must 
plant  ourselves.  Understand,  Fandor?" 

The  journalist  nodded.     UI  understand." 

The  two  men  advanced  carefully,  holding  their 
breath  and  halting  at  every  step.  To  catch  the 
ruffian  in  the  act  they  must  reach  the  study  with- 
out giving  the  alarm. 

The  first  story  of  Doctor  Chaleck's  house  was 
only  slightly  raised  above  the  ground:  by  the  aid 
of  a  drain-pipe,  Juve  and  Fandor  managed  with- 
out difficulty  to  hoist  themselves  on  to  the  balcony. 

"Here's  luck,"  cried  Juve.  "The  study  win- 
dow is  wide  open!" 

After  putting  on  a  pair  of  rubbers  and  mak- 
ing Fandor  remove  his  boots,  the  two  men  en- 
tered the  room.  Juve's  first  precaution  was  to 
test  the  two  halves  of  the  window.  Finding  that 
their  hinges  did  not  creak,  he  fastened  the  latch 
and  drew  the  curtains. 

"We'll  risk  a  light,"  he  whispered,  taking  out 
a  pocket-lamp,  which  lit  up  the  room  sufficiently 
to  allow  him  to  take  his  bearings. 

The  study  was  elegantly  furnished.  In  the  mid- 
dle was  a  huge  desk  piled  with  papers,  reports, 
and  files.  To  the  right  of  the  desk  in  the  corner 
opposite  the  window  and  half  hidden  by  a  heavy 
velvet  curtain  was  the  xioor  leading  to  the  land- 
ing. A  large  corner  sofa  occupied  the  space  of 


28  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

two  wall  panels.  A  set  of  book-shelves  covered 
a  whole  wall.  Here  and  there  cosy  arm-chairs 
invited  meditation. 

"I  don't  see  the  famous  safe,"  murmured  Fan- 
dor. 

"That's  because  your  eyes  aren't  trained,"  re- 
plied the  detective.  "Look  at  that  corner  sofa, 
topped  by  that  richly  carved  bracket.  Observe 
the  thick  appearance  of  the  delicate  mahogany 
panel.  You  may  be  quite  sure  that  it  hides  a 
solid  steel  casket  which  the  best  tools  would  have 
no  easy  job  to  cut  through.  That  little  moulding 
you  see  to  the  right  can  be  easily  pushed  aside." 

Here  Juve,  with  the  precision  of  an  expert, 
set  the  woodwork  in  motion  and  showed  the  as- 
tonished Fandor  a  scarcely  visible  key-hole. 

"Now,  let's  put  out  the  light  and  hide  our- 
selves behind  the  curtains.  Luckily  they  are  far 
enough  from  the  window  for  our  presence  not  to 
be  noticed." 

For  about  an  hour  the  men  remained  motion- 
less, then,  weary  of  standing,  they  squatted  on 
the  floor.  Each  had  his  revolver  ready  to  hand. 

Ten  had  just  struck  from  a  distant  clock  when 
suddenly  a  slight  sound  reached  their  attentive 
ears. 

The  two  had  whiled  away  the  time  of  waiting 
by  drilling  the  curtains  with  a  small  penknife. 


FANTOMAS  29 

These  holes  were  invisible  at  a  distance,  but  en- 
abled them  to  see  what  was  going  on  in  the  room. 

The  noise  continued,  slow  and  measured;  some 
one  was  walking  about  in  the  adjacent  rooms 
without  any  attempt  to  disguise  the  sound.  Evi- 
dently Loupart  believed  himself  quite  alone  in  the 
house  of  the  absent  doctor. 

The  steps  drew  nearer,  and  Fandor,  in  spite 
of  his  courage,  felt  the  rapid  beating  of  his  heart. 
The  handle  of  the  door  leading  from  the  hall  to 
the  study  was  turned,  and  some  person  entered 
the  room. 

There  was  an  instant  of  silence,  and  then  the 
desk  was  suddenly  lit  up.  The  new-comer  had 
found  the  switch.  But  he  was  not  Loupart. 

He  seemed  a  man  of  forty  and  wore  a  brown 
beard,  brushed  fan-shape;  a  noticeable  baldness 
heightened  his  forehead.  On  his  strongly  arched 
nose  a  double  eye-glass  was  balanced.  Suddenly, 
having  looked  at  the  clock  which  marked  half- 
past  eleven,  he  began  to  loosen  his  tie  and  un- 
button his  waistcoat  and  then  went  out,  leaving 
the  study  lit  as  if  intending  to  come  back. 

"It's  Chaleck!"  exclaimed  Fandor. 

"Just  so,"  replied  the  detective.  "And  this 
complicates  matters ;  we  may  have  to  protect  him 
as  well  as  his  safe." 

Indeed,  Juve's  first  impulse  was  to  go  straight 


30  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

to  Doctor  Chaleck,  apprise  him  of  the  situation, 
and,  under  his  guidance,  search  the  house  thor- 
oughly. But  that  would  have  put  Loupart  on 
the  alert.  It  would  be  taking  too  great  a  chance. 
If  Juve  should  lay  hands  on  him  outside  of  Cha- 
leck's  house  he  would  have  no  right  to  hold  him. 
For  the  subtle  power  of  Loupart,  that  well-loved 
hooligan  of  the  purlieus  of  Paris,  lay  in  his  re- 
maining constantly  a  source  of  fear,  always  a  sus- 
pect without  ever  being  caught  with  the  goods. 

Coming  back  to  his  first  idea  of  insuring  Cha- 
leck's  safety,  Juve  said  to  himself:  "The  doctor 
is  coming  back  here,  that's  sure,  and  we  must  pro- 
tect him  without  his  knowing  it.  That  is  the  best 
plan  for  the  present." 

Sure  enough  after  an  absence  of  ten  minutes 
Chaleck  returned  to  the  study  and  seated  himself 
at  his  desk.  He  had  now  changed  into  his  paja- 
mas. 

Time  passed. 

When  the  little  Empire  time  piece  which  deco- 
rated the  mantel  struck  three,  Fandor,  for  all  his 
anxiety,  could  not  repress  a  yawn:  the  night  was 
long  and  thus  far  had  been  devoid  of  incidents. 
From  their  hiding-place,  he  and  Juve  kept  an  eye 
on  Doctor  Chaleck.  When  did  the  man  sleep? 

Nothing  in  the  physician's  countenance  betrayed 
the  slightest  weariness.  He  examined  numerous 


FANTOMAS  31 

documents  spread  out  on  the  desk,  and  also  wrote 
a  letter  which  he  sealed  by  lighting  a  candle  and 
melting  some  wax.  He  lingered  a  good  twenty 
minutes  afterwards,  then  finally  put  out  the  lights 
and  left  the  room. 

The  room  was  now  in  total  darkness.  The 
journalist  and  the  detective  listened  a  few  mo- 
ments longer  as  a  precaution,  but  nothing  hap- 
pened to  break  the  hush  of  the  waning  night. 

Half  an  hour  more  and  the  outlines  of  the 
two  would  be  visible  on  the  thin  curtains.  It  was 
high  time  to  be  off. 

Fandor  and  Juve  rose  with  difficulty  to  their 
feet,  so  cramped  were  their  legs  from  the  en- 
forced rigidity. 

"What  now?"  asked  Fandor. 

"Listen!"  Juve  abruptly  gripped  the  other's 
arm  as  a  fresh  noise  came  to  their  ears.  This 
time  it  was  not  the  footsteps  of  a  man  walking 
carelessly,  but  weird  creakings,  sly  gropings.  The 
noise  stopped,  began  again  and  again  stopped. 
Where  did  it  come  from? 

"This  room  is  a  mass  of  hangings,"  muttered 
Juve. 

"It's  impossible  to  locate  those  sounds  or  de- 
termine their  origin." 

"You  would  suppose,"  began  Fandor 

But  he  stopped  short.    The  door  had  opened, 


32  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

the  light  was  switched  on  and  Doctor  Chaleck 
appeared  once  more,  probably  disturbed  in  his 
sleep  by  the  mysterious  noises. 

Chaleck  gave  a  quick  glance  round  the  room, 
and  then,  to  the  consternation  of  the  two  men, 
he  took  a  few  steps  toward  the  window,  revolver 
in  hand.  At  this  moment  dull  creakings  were 
heard,  apparently  coming  from  the  landing. 
Chaleck  turned  quickly,  and,  leaving  the  door 
open,  went  out.  An  increase  of  light  indicated 
that  the  other  rooms  in  the  house  were  being 
searched,  and  as  the  lights  were  gradually 
switched  off  again,  it  was  apparent  that  Chaleck 
was  concluding  his  domiciliary  visit  without  hav- 
ing noticed  anything  abnormal. 

The  two  remained  still  for  an  hour  longer,  al- 
though they  had  heard  Chaleck  go  back  to  his 
room  and  lock  himself  into  it. 

Meantime  the  daylight  was  growing  brighter, 
and  in  a  little  while  the  neighbourhood  would  be 
awake. 

"We  must  slip  out,"  decreed  Juve,  as  he  turned 
the  hasp  of  the  window  with  infinite  care  and  set 
it  ajar  to  reach  the  balcony. 

A  few  moments  later  Juve  had  shed  his  dis- 
guise and  the  two  men  drew  breath  in  the  middle 
of  the  Place  Pigalle,  having  fled  ignominiously 
like  common  criminals. 


IV 

A  WOMAN'S  CORPSE 

"Well,  Juve,  I  suppose  you'll  agree  with  me 
that  Josephine's  information  was  a  piece  of  pure 
fiction,"  said  Fancier  as  they  turned  into  the  Rue 
Pigalle. 

"You  are  talking  nonsense,"  replied  Juve. 

"But,"  protested  the  other,  "we  arrived  punc- 
tually at  the  place  appointed,  and  most  assuredly 
nothing  happened  there." 

"We  were  punctual,  it  is  true,  but  so  was 
Loupart.  Josephine's  letter  gave  us  two  items  of 
information :  That  her  lover  would  be  at  Doctor 
Chaleck's  house  and  that  he  would  rob  the  safe. 
Events  have  proved  her  correct  in  one  case.  As 
to  the  second,  while  he  did  not  break  open  the 
safe,  nothing  proves  that  he  had  not  that  inten- 
tion. He  may  have  been  frustrated  by  the  unex- 
pected appearance  of  Doctor  Chaleck,  or  he  may 
have  discovered  that  we  were  following  him." 

33 


34  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

At  this  moment  Fandor  pointed  out  to  Juve 
three  men  who  were  running  toward  them,  vio- 
lently gesticulating. 

"What  does  that  mean?"  he  asked. 

Before  Juve  could  reply  one  of  the  men,  much 
out  of  breath,  inquired:  "Well,  chief!" 

"Why,  it's  Michel  and  Henri  and  Leon!" 
Then,  turning  to  Fandor,  he  explained:  "Three 
inspectors." 

Michel  repeated  the  question:  "Well,  chief, 
what's  up?" 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"You've  just  come  from  the  Cite  Frochot, 
chief?" 

Juve  was  amazed.  "Look  here,"  he  said, 
"where  do  you  come  from,  Michel?  The  Pre- 
fecture?" 

"No,  chief,  from  the  head  office  of  No.  IX." 

"Then  how  do  you  know  we  were  at  the  Cite 
Frochot?" 

Taken  aback,  Michel  replied:  "Why,  from 
seeing  you  here,  after  the  affair." 

"What  affair?"  insisted  Juve. 

"Well,  chief,  it's  this  way.  The  three  of  us 
were  on  duty  this  morning  at  the  Rue  Rochefou- 
cauld Station.  About  twenty  minutes  ago  the 
telephone  rang  and  I  heard  a  woman  asking  in  a 
broken  and  choked  voice  if  it  was  the  police  sta- 


FANTOMAS  35 

tion.  On  my  answering  it  was,  she  begged  me  to 
come  to  the  rescue,  crying,  'Murder!  I'm  dy- 
ing!'" 

"What  then?"  questioned  Juve. 

"Then  I  asked  who  was  speaking,  but  unfortu- 
nately Central  had  cut  me  off." 

"You  made  inquiries?" 

"Yes,  chief,  and  after  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
Central  told  me  that  only  one  subscriber  had 
called  up  the  police  station,  the  number  being 
928-12,  name  of  Doctor  Chaleck  in  the  Cite 
Frochot." 

"I  suppose  you  asked  for  the  number  again?" 

"I  did,  but  I  could  get  no  reply." 

After  a  pause,  during  which  Juve  was  lost  in 
thought,  the  officer  added  timidly:  "We'd  better 
hurry  if  a  crime  has  been  committed." 

Juve  beckoned  Michel  to  him. 

"There  are  too  many  of  us,"  he  said.  "You 
come  along,  Michel;  the  other  two  must  go  back 
to  the  station  and  be  ready  to  join  us  in  case  of 
need." 

The  two  officers  and  Fandor  went  hurriedly 
up  the  Rue  Pigalle  and  came  to  a  halt  by  Doctor 
Chaleck's  door. 

A  loud  ringing  brought  no  reply.  It  was  re- 
peated, and  finally  a  voice  cried:  "Who  is  there; 
what's  the  matter?" 


36  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"Open,"  ordered  Juve. 

"To  whom  do  you  wish  to  speak?" 

"To  Doctor  Chaleck."  And  Juve  added: 
"Open,  it's  the  police." 

"The  police!  What  the  deuce  do  they  want 
with  me?" 

"You'll  soon  find  out,"  answered  Michel.  "Do 
you  suppose  we'd  be  making  this  row  if  we  were 
criminals?" 

Doubtless  convinced  by  this  reasoning,  Doctor 
Chaleck  decided  at  length  to  open  his  door. 

"What  do  you  want  with  me?"  he  repeated. 

Juve  quickly  explained  matters. 

"We've  just  had  a  telephone  message  to  say 
that  some  ruffians,  possibly  murderers,  are  in 
your  house." 

"Murderers!"  cried  Chaleck  in  amazement. 
"But  whom  could  they  murder?  I'm  living  here 
alone." 

At  this  assertion,  Juve,  Fandor  and  Michel 
looked  at  each  other,  mystified. 

"Well,  in  any  case  we  must  search  your  house 
from  top  to  bottom,"  said  Juve,  and  added 
as  an  afterthought:  "I  suppose  you  are  thor- 
oughly satisfied  that  we  come  with  honest  inten- 
tions?" 

Doctor  Chaleck  smiled: 

"Oh!    Inspector  Juve's  features  are  very  well 


FANTOMAS  37 

known  to  me,  and  I  place  myself  entirely  at  his 
disposition." 

The  three  men,  led  by  Chaleck,  ransacked  all 
the  rooms  on  the  ground  floor;  finding  nothing 
suspicious,  they  then  went  up  to  the  floor  above. 

"I  have  only  three  more  rooms  to  show  you, 
gentlemen,"  said  the  doctor.  "My  bathroom, 
my  bedroom  and  my  study." 

The  bathroom  disclosed  nothing  of  interest, 
and  Chaleck,  throwing  open  the  door  of  another 
room,  announced,  "My  study." 

Scarcely  had  Fandor  set  foot  in  the  study, 
from  which  he  and  Juve  had  so  recently  made 
their  escape,  when  a  cry  burst  from  his  lips: 

"Good  God!     How  horrible!" 

The  apartment  was  in  the  greatest  disorder. 
Overturned  chairs  bore  witness  to  a  violent  strug- 
gle. One  of  the  mahogany  panels  of  the  desk 
had  been  partly  smashed  in.  A  window  curtain 
was  torn  and  hanging,  and  the  small  gas  stove 
was  broken. 

Fandor,  at  the  first  glance,  saw  what  appeared 
to  be  a  long  trail  of  blood,  extending  from  the 
window  to  the  desk.  Stepping  forward  quickly, 
he  discovered  the  body  of  a  woman  frightfully 
crushed  and  covered  with  blood. 

"Dead  some  time,"  Cried  Fandor.  "The  body 
is  cold  and  the  blood  already  congealed." 


3  8  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Juve  tranquilly  examined  the  room,  and  took 
in  its  tragic  horror.  "The  telephone  apparatus 
is  overturned,"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "There 
has  been  a  struggle  between  the  victim  and  the 
murderer.  Ah! — theft  was  the  object  of  the 
crime." 

"Theft!"  cried  Doctor  Chaleck,  coming  for- 
ward. 

"Look,  doctor,  your  safe  has  been  overturned, 
broken  in  and  ransacked,"  answered  Juve,  as  he 
and  Fandor  cautiously  lifted  the  woman.  The 
body  was  a  mass  of  contusions  and  appeared  to 
be  one  large  wound. 

Juve  turned  to  the  doctor,  who,  livid  with  con- 
sternation, was  holding  up  a  small  grey  linen  bag 
which  had  contained  his  bonds. 

"Come,  doctor,  calm  yourself  and  give 
us  some  information.  Can  you  make  any- 
thing of  it?" 

"Nothing!  nothing!  I  heard  nothing.  Who 
is  this  woman?  I  don't  know  her!" 

Fandor  pointed  to  a  small  shoe  lying  in  a  cor- 
ner. 

"A  fashionable  woman,"  he  said. 

"Quite  so,"  was  Juve's  reply,  and  putting  his 
hands  on  Chaleck's  shoulders  he  inquired:  "A 
friend  of  yours,  a  mistress,  eh?  Come  now, 
don't  deny  it." 


FANTOMAS  39 

"Deny!"  protested  the  doctor,  "deny  what? 
You  are  not  accusing  me,  are  you?  I  know  noth- 
ing of  what  has  taken  place  here,  and,  as  you  see, 
have  been  robbed  into  the  bargain." 

"Is  she  a  patient  of  yours?" 

"I  don't  practise." 

"A  visitor,  perhaps?" 

"No  one  has  been  to  see  me  to-day." 

"It  is  not  your  maid?" 

"No;  I  tell  you.  I  am  living  here  all  by  my- 
self." 

"Have  you  noticed  this,  sir?"  put  in  Michel, 
as  he  gave  Juve  a  handkerchief  on  which  some 
vicious,  greyish  substance  was  spread  in  thick 
layers. 

"Shoemakers'  wax,"  Juve  explained,  after  a 
brief  glance  at  it.  "That  explains  the  burns  we 
noticed.  The  murderer  covered  his  victim's  face 
with  the  handkerchief  to  prevent  identification." 
Then,  turning  to  Fandor,  he  went  on  in  a  low 
tone: 

"But  it  doesn't  explain  how  and  when  the  crime 
was  committed.  Less  than  an  hour  ago  we  were 
in  this  very  room,  and  the  burgling  of  the  safe 
alone  would  take  fully  an  hour." 

Michel,  ignorant  of  this  fact,  was  for  arresting 
the  doctor.  , 

"Look   here,"    he    said    sharply    to    Chaleck, 


40  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"we've  had  enough  yarns  from  you;  now  tell  us 
the  truth." 

"But,  good  God!  I  have  told  you  the  truth!" 
cried  Chaleck. 

"And  you  heard  nothing,  although  you  were 
only  a  few  yards  away?" 

"Nothing  at  all.  I  sat  up  working  very  late 
last  night.  When  I  went  to  bed,  nothing  had 
happened  in  the  least  suspicious.  Oh,  by  the 
way,  toward  morning  I  did  hear  a  slight  noise. 
I  rose  and  went  over  the  house,  even  coming  into 
this  room.  I  found  everything  in  order." 

"That's  a  likely  tale!" 

"Here's  a  proof  of  what  I  say!  When  I  re- 
turned to  this  study  I  used  that  candle  and  seal- 
ing wax  to  seal  my  letter,  which,  as  you  can  see, 
is  still  here.  Your  ring  at  the  bell  awoke  me  not 
more  than  twenty  minutes  later,  just  as  I  was 
getting  to  sleep  again." 

"Lies!"  cried  Michel,  turning  to  Juve.  "Shall 
I  arrest  him?" 

"The  doctor  is  telling  the  truth,"  replied  Juve, 
half  regretfully. 

Chaleck  seemed  very  much  relieved. 

"Oh,  you'll  help  me,  won't  you?  Get  me  out 
of  this  abominable  affair!" 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Chaleck  had  accounted  for 
his  time  with  exact  truthfulness. 


FANTOMAS  41 

Juve  crossed  the  room  and  drew  aside  the  cur- 
tains; upon  the  floor  he  pointed  out  to  Fandor 
traces  of  mud.  It  was  there  that  he  and  the 
journalist  had  stood. 

"Doctor,"  said  Juve  at  length,  "I  must  ask  you 
not  to  go  out  this  morning.  I  am  going  to  head- 
quarters to  ask  them  to  send  experts  in  anthro- 
pometry. We  must  photograph  in  detail  the  ap- 
pearance of  your  study;  then  I  will  come  back 
and  make  an  extended  inquiry  and  I  shall  want 
you.  Michel,  remain  here  with  the  doctor." 

Without  further  words,  Juve,  followed  by  Fan- 
dor,  left  the  house  of  mystery,  jumped  into  the 
first  cab  that  passed  and,  mopping  his  forehead, 
cried: 

"It's  astounding!  This  murder  presents  mys- 
teries worthy  of  Fantomas  himself  1" 


V 


Loupart  was  taking  a  fruit  cure.  It  was  about 
ten  in  the  morning,  and  along  the  Rues  Charbon- 
niere,  Chartres  and  Goutte  d'Or  the  women 
hawkers,  driven  from  central  Paris  by  the  police, 
were  making  for  the  high  ground  of  the  popu- 
lous quarters. 

Loupart  strolled  along  the  pavement,  making 
grabs  at  the  barrows,  picking  a  handful  of  straw- 
berries or  cherries  as  he  went  by.  If  by  chance 
the  dealer  complained,  she  was  quickly  silenced 
by  a  chaffing  speech  or  a  stern  glance. 

The  hooligan  stopped  at  the  "Comrades' 
Tryst,"  in  front  of  which  Mother  Toulouche  had 
set  out  a  table  with  a  large  basket  of  winkles. 

"Want  to  try  them?"  suggested  the  old  woman 
on  catching  sight  of  Josephine's  lover. 

"Hand  me  a  pin,"  he  answered  harshly,  and 
in  a  few  moments  had  emptied  half  a  dozen 
shells. 

42 


FANTOMAS  43 

"Friend  Square,  I've  something  to  say  to  you." 

"Out  with  it,  then." 

But  before  the  old  woman  could  reply,  a  noise 
of  roller  skates  coming  down  the  pavement  made 
her  turn. 

Loupart  looked  round  with  a  smile. 

"Why  here  conies  the  auto-bus,"  he  cried. 

A  cripple  moving  at  a  great  pace  came  plump 
into  the  basket  of  shell-fish.  The  speed  with 
which  he  travelled  had  earned  him  the  nickname 
of  the  Motor.  He  was  said  to  be  an  old  rail- 
way mechanic,  who  had  lost  both  legs  in  an  acci- 
dent. 

"Motor,"  cried  Mother  Toulouche,  "I  have  to 
be  away  for  ten  minutes  or  so;  look  after  my 
basket,  will  you?" 

Following  the  old  dame  to  her  den  Loupart 
entered  with  difficulty,  on  account  of  the  great 
quantity  of  heterogeneous  objects  with  which  it 
was  crowded.  The  product  of  innumerable 
thefts  lay  heaped  up  pell-mell  in  this  illicit  ba- 
zaar. 

Dame  Toulouche,  having  shut  the  door, 
plunged  into  her  subject. 

"Big  Ernestine  is  furious  with  you,  Loupart." 

"If  she's  threatening  me,"  the  hooligan  re- 
plied, "I'll  soon  fix  her," 

"No,  big  Ernestine  didn't  want  to  fight,  but 


44  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

she  was  annoyed  at  the  public  affront  put  upon 
her  by  Josephine's  lover  when  he  drove  her  from 
'The  Good  Comrades'  the  evening  before  last 
without  any  reason." 

"Without  any  reason!"  growled  Loupart. 
"Then  what  was  her  business  with  those  spies, 
the  Sapper  and  Nonet?" 

"That  can't  be!    Not  the  Sapper!" 

"Spies,  I  tell  you;  they  belong  to  headquar- 
ters." 

The  old  receiver  of  stolen  goods  cast  up  her 
eyes.  "And  they  looked  such  decent  people,  too ! 
Who  can  one  trust?" 

Loupart,  for  reply,  suddenly  picked  up  a  scarf 
pin  set  with  a  diamond,  and,  tossing  the  old 
woman  a  five-dollar  piece,  said  as  he  left  the 
room:  "You  can  tell  Ernestine  that  I  bear  her 
no  malice." 

Loupart  had  hardly  gone  a  few  steps  along 
the  Rue  Charbonniere,  when,  at  the  corner  of  the 
Rue  de  Chartres,  he  bumped  into  a  passer-by 
who  was  coming  down  the  street. 

Loupart  burst  out  laughing:  "What!  Can  this 
be  you,  Beard?  What's  happened  to  you?" 

It  certainly  needed  a  practised  eye  to  recognise 
the  famous  leader  of  the  Cypher  gang.  For  the 
Beard,  who  owed  his  name  to  an  abnormal  hairy 
development,  was  clean  shaved;  in  addition,  he 


FANTOMAS  45 

wore  a  soft,  greenish  hat  and  was  clad  in  a  suit 
with  huge  checks. 

"You  told  me  to  make  up  as  an  American." 

"I  did,  and  you've  made  yourself  look  like  a 
hayseed  juggins.  For  Heaven's  sake,  take  it  off. 
By  the  way,  what  about  young  Mimile?" 

"He's  with  us." 

"Well,  get  him  the  togs  of  a  collegian  for  the 
job  at  the  docks.  What  night  do  we  bring  it 
off?" 

"Saturday  night,  unless  the  Cooper  changes 
the  time." 

Loupart  bent  close  to  the  ear  of  his  lieutenant. 

"Is  he — easy  to  recognise?" 

"No  chance  of  making  an  error.  Lean,  togged 
in  dark  clothes  and  with  one  goggle  eye." 

Loupart  touched  the  "Beard's"  arm. 

"First-class    tickets    for   everybody." 

"How  many  will  there  be?" 

"Five  or  six." 

"Women,  too?" 

"No,  only  my  girl.  But  you  can  bet  we  shan't 
be  bored!"  With  these  words,  Loupart  walked 
away.  He  stopped  a  little  later  at  the  second 
house  in  the  Rue  Goutte  d'Or,  a  decent-looking 
house  with  carpet  on  the  stairs. 

On  reaching  the  fifth-  floor,  he  knocked  several 
times  on  the  door  facing  him,  but  without 


46  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

reply.  This  annoyed  him;  he  didn't  like  Jose- 
phine to  sleep  late,  and  he  expected  her  to 
be  always  ready  when  he  condescended  to  come 
and  fetch  her. 

Josephine  was  a  pretty  burnisher  from  Belle- 
ville, and  Loupart,  who  had  met  her  at  a  ball 
in  that  quarter  six  months  ago  had  made  her  his 
favourite  mistress. 

Among  the  bullies  and  drabs  that  frequented 
the  place,  Josephine  had  appeared  to  him  seduc- 
tive, charming,  almost  virginal,  and  the  popular 
hooligan  had  promptly  chosen  her  from  her  sis- 
ters of  the  underworld. 

Certainly  Josephine  had  no  reason  to  complain 
of  her  lover's  conduct,  and  if  at  times  he  de- 
manded of  her  a  blind  submission,  he  never 
treated  her  with  that  fierce  brutality  which  char- 
acterised most  of  his  fellows.  But  if  Josephine 
had  felt  any  leaning  toward  a  good  life,  or  any 
scruples  of  conscience,  she  must  necessarily  have 
thrown  them  overboard  as  soon  as  her  connection 
with  Loupart  began.  With  a  different  start  in 
life  she  might  have  become  an  honest  little  woman, 
but  circumstances  made  her  the  mistress  of  a 
hooligan  ring-leader,  and,  everything  considered, 
she  had  a  certain  pride  in  being  so,  without  imi- 
tating the  vulgar  and  brutal  behaviour  of  her 
companions. 


FANTOMAS  47 

At  the  third  summons,  Loupart,  none  too  pa- 
tient, drove  the  door  in  with  a  vigorous  shove  of 
his  shoulders. 

Josephine's  apartment,  a  comfortable  and  spa- 
cious room,  with  a  fine  bird's-eye  view  of  Paris, 
was  empty. 

Fancying  his  mistress  was  at  some  neighbour's 
gossiping,  he  bawled:  "Josephine!  Come  here!" 

Heads  appeared,  looking  anxiously  out  of 
rooms  on  the  same  floor. 

"Where  is  Josephine?"  Loupart  cried. 

Mme.  Guinon  came  forward. 

"I  don't  know,"  she  replied,  stammering. 
"She  complained  of  pains  in  her  stomach  last 
evening,  and  I  was  told  she's  gone." 

"Gone?     Gone  where?"  stormed  Loupart. 

"Why,  I  don't  know;  it  was  Julie  who  told 
me." 

A  freckled  face,  half  hidden  by  a  matted 
shock  of  hair,  appeared.  Julie  was  not  reticent 
like  her  mother.  She  explained  in  a  hoarse,  alco- 
holic voice: 

"It's  quite  simple.  When  I  came  in  last  night 
about  four  I  heard  groans  in  Josephine's  room. 
I  went  to  see  and  found  Josephine  writhing  in 
pain  as  if  she  had  been — poisoned." 

"What  did  you  do  then?" 

"Oh,  nothing,"  declared  Julie.    "I  just  trotted 


48  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

away  again;  it  wasn't  my  business,  but  the  Flirt 
came  and  meddled  in  it." 

"The  Flirt!     Where  is  she?" 

The  Flirt,  a  faded,  wrinkled  woman  of  fifty, 
appeared  from  a  doorway  where  she  had  been 
listening. 

"Where  is  Josephine?"  demanded  Loupart. 

"At  Lariboisiere  hospital,  ward  22,  since  you 
want  to  know." 

After  a  moment's  amazement,  Loupart  broke 
out  furiously: 

"You  sent  off  Josephine  in  the  middle  of  the 
night!  You  took  her  to  a  hospital  for  a  little 
indigestion!  Without  asking  my  consent!  Why 
she's  no  more  ill  than  I  am!" 

"Have  to  believe  she  is,"  replied  the  Flirt, 
"since  the  'probes'  have  kept  her." 

Loupart  turnd  and  tramped  downstairs  swear- 
ing. 

"She'll  come  out  of  that  a  damned  sight  quicker 
than  she  went  in!" 

A  few  moments  later  Loupart  entered  Father 
Korn's  saloon.  Having  set  forth  his  plans  to 
that  worthy,  the  latter  proceeded  to  demolish 
them. 

"You  can't  do  anything  to-day,  so  there's  no 
use  trying.  You'll  have  to  wait  till  to-morrow 
at  midday,  the  proper  visiting  hour." 


FANTOMAS  49 

Loupart  recognised  the  truth  of  the  publican's 
assertion  and,  calling  for  writing  paper,  sat  down 
and  scrawled  a  letter  to  his  mistress. 

"Motor,"  he  cried  to  the  cripple  who  was  still 
at  Mother  Toulouche's  basket,  "tumble  along 
with  this  note  to  Lariboisiere;  look  sharp,  and 
when  you  get  back  I'll  stand  you  a  glass." 

As  the  cripple  hurried  away  he  was  all  but 
knocked  down  by  a  newsboy,  running  and  shout- 
ing: 

"Extra!  Extra!  Get  The  Capital.  Extraor- 
dinary and  mysterious  crime  of  the  Cite  Frochot. 
Murder  of  a  woman." 

"Shall  I  get  a  copy?"  asked  the  publican. 

Loupart  stalked  out  of  the  saloon  without 
turning. 

"Oh,  I  know  all  about  that,"  he  cried. 

Father  Korn  stood  rooted  to  the  spot  at  Lou- 
part's  answer. 

"What!     He  knows  already!" 


VI 

THE  LARIBOISIERE  HOSPITAL 

The  clerk,  who  had  admitted  Juve,  withdrew, 
and  M.  de  Maufil,  the  amiable  director,  gave 
the  police  officer  his  most  gracious  smile. 

"When  I  applied  this  morning  at  headquarters 
for  an  officer  to  be  sent  here,  I  scarcely  expected 
to  receive  so  celebrated  a  detective,  upon  a  mat- 
ter which  is  really  very  commonplace." 

"Your  letter  to  M.  Havard  mentioned  a  per- 
son I  have  been  looking  for  with  the  greatest  in- 
terest for  the  past  two  days.  Loupart,  alias  'The 
Square,'  "  replied  Juve,  "that  is  why  I  came  my- 
self. What  is  it  about,  sir?" 

"Well,  the  day  before  yesterday,  we  took  in 
at  the  instance  of  Doctor  Patel,  a  patient  suffer- 
ing from  acute  gastric  trouble.  The  woman  gave 
us  for  identification  the  name  of  Josephine,  no 
calling,  residing  in  Paris,  Rue  de  Goutte  d'Or, 
in  furnished  rooms.  Some  hours  after  her  ad- 

50 


FANTOMAS  51 

mission  to  the  hospital,  she  received  a  letter, 
brought  by  a  messenger,  which  threw  her  into  a 
violent  state  of  terror.  The  nurse  on  duty  sent 
for  me,  and  I  succeeded,  after  great  difficulty,  in 
quieting  her;  but  she  insisted  most  emphatically 
on  leaving  the  hospital  at  once.  The  poor  crea- 
ture was  in  a  high  fever,  and  to  grant  her  request 
would  have  been  sending  her  to  her  death.  At 
length  she  intrusted  me  with  the  letter  which  had 
excited  her  so.  Here  it  is,  kindly  look  it  over." 
Juve  took  the  letter  and  read: 

"Am  just  back  from  the  doss.  You  ain't  there,  and  I 
don't  want  any  more  of  these  dodges.  You  are  no  more 
ill  than  I  am.  See  here,  you'll  either  leave  the  hospital 
and  slope  back  to  the  house  right  off  or  to-morrow,  Fri- 
day, at  visiting  time,  as  sure  as  my  name's  what  it  is, 
you'll  get  two  bullets  in  your  hide  to  teach  you  to  hold 
your  tongue." 

Juve  gave  a  grunt  of  satisfaction. 

"You  understand  what  is  going  on?"  asked 
the  director. 

"Yes,  but  please  go  on  with  your  story." 

"Well,  sir,  you  can  guess  that  having  read  this 
letter,  I  easily  got  from  the  girl  some  informa- 
tion as  to  the  writer.  According  to  what  she 
told  me  this  Loupart  is  her  lover,  and  he  seems 
to  have  in  a  high  degree  that  inconceivable  pride 


52  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

which  causes  folks  of  his  class,  when  they  have 
sworn  to  kill  some  one,  to  carry  out  their  threat, 
no  matter  what  risk  they  may  run  themselves. 
The  girl,  Josephine,  is  convinced  that  to-morrow 
Loupart  will  come  and  kill  her." 

"You  have  told  her  that  all  precautions  will 
be  taken?" 

"Of  course.  I  pointed  out  to  her  that  people 
do  not  come  in  here  as  they  do  into  a  bar;  that 
being  warned,  I  should  have  all  the  visitors 
watched  who  come  here  and  asked  to  see  her.  I 
repeated  to  her  that  her  lover  probably  wanted 
to  frighten  her,  but  that  he  could  not  do  anything 
to  injure  her.  I  insisted  that  in  the  state  she  was 
in  it  was  physically  impossible  for  her  to  obey 
that  wretch's  bidding." 

"And  what  was  her  answer  to  that?" 

"Nothing.  Her  attack  of  alarm  having  sub- 
sided she  seemed  to  fall  into  a  condition  of  ex- 
treme prostration.  I  realised  quite  well  that  she 
regarded  herself  as  condemned,  that  she  had  a 
far  higher  opinion  of  Loupart's  daring  than  of 
my  watchfulness,  and,  lastly,  if  she  stayed  it  was 
because  she  realised  that  it  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion for  her,  in  her  weak  state,  to  go  back  to  her 
home." 

While  the  director  was  speaking,  Juve  had  re- 
tained a  smiling  and  satisfied  expression,  seeming 


FANTOMAS  53 

but  little  affected  by  Josephine's  terrible  plight. 

"I  should  very  much  like  to  know,"  continued 
the  director,  "why  you  said  you  knew  the  reasons 
for  the  threat  being  sent  by  this  man  to  his  mis- 
tress?" 

Juve  hesitated  some  moments;  then,  without 
going  into  details,  said:  "It  would  take  too  long 
to  recount  the  motives  which  prompted  Loupart 
to  write  that  letter.  This  Josephine  whom  you 
see  to-day  trembling  at  her  lover's  threat  not  so 
long  ago  supplied  the  police  with  valuable  hints 
concerning  him.  Has  he  learned  that?  Does  he 
know  the  woman  has  rounded  on  him?  Did  he 
fear,  above  all,  that  she  would  tell  tales  again 
here  at  the  hospital?  It  is  quite  possible.  You 
see  he  must  have  had  very  strong  reasons  for  giv- 
ing her  the  order  to  come  home " 

Juve  here  broke  off,  fingering  Loupart's  letter; 
then  at  length  he  placed  it  in  his  pocketbook. 

"I  will  keep  this  document,  director;  it  is  a 
tangible  proof  of  Loupart's  criminal  intentions. 
If  he  should  put  his  threats  into  practice  it  would 
be  difficult  after  that  to  deny  premeditation." 

"You  think  that  such  a  thing  is  possible?" 

"Don't  you?" 

"Loupart  declares  he  will  come  to  the  hos- 
pital before  three  and  -kill  his  mistress,  but  surely 
it  must  be  easy  to  render  that  impossible." 


54  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"You  think  the  police  are  all-powerful,  that 
we  can  arrest  would-be  murderers  and  render 
them  incapable  of  harm?  That  is  an  error.  We 
are  prevented  from  taking  effective  action  by  a 
swarm  of  regulations.  If  I  met  Loupart  on  the 
street  I  would  not  be  able  to  arrest  him.  I  have 
no  warrant.  When  a  man  holds  his  life  cheap 
and  is  determined  to  risk  everything,  he  has  a 
pretty  good  chance  of  succeeding.  Of  course  I 
shall  take  every  measure  to  prevent  Loupart  kill- 
ing his  mistress,  but  I'm  not  at  all  sure  of  suc- 
cess." 

"But  M.  Juve,  we  must  have  this  girl  Jose- 
phine transferred  to  another  hospital  if  neces- 
sary." 

Juve  shook  his  head. 

"And  show  Loupart  we  are  aware  of  his  pur- 
pose? Flatter  the  ruffian's  vanity?  No,  we  must 
let  Loupart  come,  and  catch  him  as  he  is  about 
to  commit  the  crime." 

"What  do  you  propose  to  do?" 

"Study  the  hospital;  arrange  where  to  place 
my  men,"  replied  Juve. 

"In  that  case,  I  will  do  everything  I  can  to 
help  you."  M.  de  Maufil  rang  for  an  attendant 
and  bade  him  take  Juve  to  Doctor  Patel's  depart- 
ment. 

Juve  thanked  the  obliging  director  and  took 


FANTOMAS  55 

leave.  The  attendant  pointed  to  a  row  of  win- 
dows under  the  roof. 

"Doctor  Patel's  division  begins  at  the  corner 
window  and  runs  to  the  window  near  the  cor- 
nice." 

"What  are  the  means  of  access  to  the  female 
ward?" 

"Oh,  that's  quite  simple,  sir;  you  get  into  the 
woman's  ward  either  by  the  door  on  the  staircase 
or  by  the  door  at  the  back,  which  leads  into  the 
laboratory  of  the  head  physician,  the  room  of  the 
house  surgeon  on  duty,  and  the  departmental 
offices." 

"And  how  do  visitors  pass  in?" 

"Visitors  always  go  up  the  main  staircase." 

"Now,"  said  Juve,  "show  me  over  Doctor 
Patel's  division." 

"Very  good,  sir.  It  will  be  all  the  more  in- 
teresting to  you,  as  it  is  just  the  visiting  hour." 

When  Juve  made  his  way  into  the  woman's 
ward,  Doctor  Patel  was  actually  in  process  of 
seeing  his  patients.  He  was  passing  from  bed 
to  bed,  questioning  each  of  the  women  under 
treatment  and  listening  to  the  comments  of  the 
house  staff  who  followed  him. 

"Gentlemen,"  the  doctor  was  saying  as  Juve 
joined  the  group,  "the  patient  we  have  just  seen 
affords  a  very  excellent  and  typical  instance  of 


5  6  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

intermittent  fever.  The  serum  tests  have  not 
given  any  appreciable  result;  it  is  therefore  im- 
possible to  arrive  at " 

A  hand  was  laid  on  Juve's  shoulder. 

"Why,  the  tests  are  always  absolutely  indica- 
tive !  Palpable  typhoid,  eh?  What  do  you  think?" 

Juve  turned  his  head  and  could  not  suppress 
a  cry  of  surprise. 

"Doctor  Chaleck!" 

"What!  M.  Juve! — You  here!  Were  you 
looking  for  me?" 

Juve  was  dumbfounded.  He  drew  Chaleck 
aside. 

"Then  you're  attached  to  this  hospital?" 

"Oh,  I  have  only  leave  to  attend  the  courses." 

"And  I  came  here  out  of  curiosity." 

"In  any  case,  allow  me  to  thank  you  for  the 
service  you  rendered  me  the  other  day.  The 
officer  who  was  with  you  seemed  to  take  me  for 
the  guilty  man." 

"Well,  you  see,  appearances  .  .  ." 

"But  if  anyone  was  a  victim  it  was  I.  Apart; 
from  the  finding  of  the  murdered  woman  in  my 
house,  I  have  been  robbed!" 

Here  the  doctor  broke  off.  A  house  surgeon 
was  beckoning  to  him. 

"Forgive  me,"  he  said  to  Juve.  "I  cannot 
keep  my  colleague  waiting." 


FANTOMAS  57 

Leaving  Chaleck,  Juve  went  back  to  the  at- 
tendant who  had  patiently  waited  for  him. 

"Stranger  than  ever!"  he  murmured.  "There 
is  no  making  it  all  out.  Josephine  writes  that 
Loupart  means  to  rob  Chaleck.  I  track  Loupart 
and  he  gives  me  the  slip.  I  spend  a  night  in  a 
room  where  I  see  nothing,  and  where  neverthe- 
less a  horrible  amazing  crime  is  committed.  The 
murder  takes  place  scarce  a  yard  from  me,  and 
the  doctor,  the  tenant  of  the  house,  sees  nothing 
either,  and  does  not  even  know  the  victim  who  is 
found  next  morning  on  his  premises !  Thereupon 
our  informant,  Josephine,  goes  into  hospital;  pain 
in  the  stomach,  they  say — hem!  Poison,  maybe? 
Then  she  gets  a  threatening  letter  from  Loupart. 
And  when  I  come  to  the  hospital  to  protect  her, 
whom  do  I  meet  but  Doctor  Chaleck!" 

Juve,  turning  to  the  attendant  who  was  escort- 
ing him,  asked: 

"You  know  the  person  I  was  speaking  to  just 
now?" 

"Doctor  Chaleck?     Yes,  sir." 

"What  is  his  business  here?" 

"He  is  a  foreign  doctor,  I  believe.  I  should 
fancy  a  Belgian.  Anyhow,  he  is  allowed  by  the 
authorities  to  follow  the  clinical  courses  and 
make  researches  in  the  laboratory." 


VII 

A  REVOLVER   SHOT 

Doctor  Patel's  division  presented  an  unusu- 
ally animated  appearance  that  afternoon.  Not 
only  were  the  patients  allowed  to  receive  visitors, 
but  quite  a  number  of  strange  doctors  had  spent  the 
day  going  from  bed  to  bed,  note-books  in  hand, 
studying  the  patients  and  their  temperature 
charts.  The  nurses  hesitated  to  call  these  indi- 
viduals doctors,  and  the  patients,  too,  seemed 
aware  of  their  true  status.  Whispers  were 
hushed,  and  all  eyes  turned  toward  the  far  end 
of  the  ward. 

There,  in  a  bed  set  slightly  apart  and  near 
the  house  staff's  quarters,  lay  Josephine,  a  prey 
to  a  racking  fever  and  breathing  with  difficulty. 

Exactly  opposite  her  was  the  bed  of  an  old 
woman  who  had  been  admitted  that  morning. 
Her  face  had  almost  entirely  disappeared  under 
voluminous  bandages. 

58 


FANTOMAS  59 

As  the  ward  clock  struck  a  quarter  to  three, 
an  attendant  appeared  and  announced: 

"In  ten  minutes  visitors  will  be  requested  to 
leave." 

"Two  of  the  staff  who  had  paced  the  ward 
since  early  in  the  day  exchanged  a  smile. 

"Here's  the  end  of  the  farce,"  remarked  one; 
"Loupart  isn't  coming." 

"He  said  three;  there  are  still  thirteen  minutes 
left,"  replied  the  other. 

"Well,  every  precaution  is  taken." 

"Precautions  are  of  no  use  with  men  like  Lou- 
part." 

"Eleven  minutes  left." 

"What  the  devil  could  happen?  There  is  no 
longer  admission  to  the  hospital;  the  visitors  are 
leaving." 

"Three  minutes!" 

"Look  here,  you'll  end  by  making  me 
think  .  .  ." 

"Two  minutes." 

"Well,  own  yourself  beaten!" 

"One  minute." 

Bang!  Bang!  Two  shots  from  a  revolver 
suddenly  startled  the  silent  ward. 

There  was  a  moment's  consternation  and  up- 
roar. The  patients  leaped  from  their  beds  and 
sought  refuge. in  the  corners  of  the  ward,  while 


6o  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

the  two  house  surgeons  and  the  policemen,  pass- 
ing as  doctors,  rushed  in  a  body  toward  Jose- 
phine's bed.  Doors  slammed.  People  came  hur- 
rying from  all  quarters. 

Above  the  hubbub  rose  a  calm  voice. 

"What  the  devil!  Here  I  am  drenched! 
What  does  that  mean?" 

The  house  surgeon  reached  the  bed  where  the 
hopeless  Josephine  lay,  white  as  a  corpse,  mo- 
tionless. A  large  red  blood  stain  was  spread- 
ing on  her  sheet.  Quickly  the  doctor  uncovered 
the  wounded  woman  and  examined  her. 

"Fainted,  she  has  only  fainted!"  And,  silenc- 
ing all  comments,  he  called: 

"Monsieur  Juve !     Monsieur  Juve!" 

The  old  woman  who,  a  few  moments  before, 
had  been  dozing,  now  quickly  sprang  out  of  bed, 
and,  tearing  off  her  bandages,  revealed  the  placid 
features  of  detective  Juve. 

"I  understand  everything  except  that  I'm 
drenched  to  the  bones,"  declared  Juve,  as  he 
crossed  to  Josephine's  bed,  oblivious  to  the  amaze- 
ment his  appearance  caused. 

"That's  easily  explained,"  said  the  house  sur- 
geon. "The  girl  was  lying  on  a  rubber  mattress 
filled  with  water.  One  of  the  bullets  punctured 
it." 

"What  damage  did  she  receive?" 


FANTOMAS  61 

"A  contusion  on  the  shoulder.  The  murderer 
aimed  badly  owing  to  her  recumbent  position." 

Juve  beckoned  to  the  officers. 

"Your  report?     You've  seen  nothing?" 

"Nothing." 

"That's  strange,"  declared  the  detective.  "I 
kept  an  eye  on  Josephine  myself,  thinking  that 
a  movement  on  her  part  would  betray  the  en- 
trance of  Loupart.  She  made  no  sign;  but,  how- 
ever Loupart  may  have  got  in,  he  can't  get  out 
without  falling  into  a  trap.  I  have  fifty  men 
posted  round  the  building.  Now,  the  first  point 
to  clear  up  is  the  exact  place  from  where  the  shot 
was  fired." 

"How  can  we  get  at  that?" 

"Very  simply.  By  drawing  an  imaginary  line 
between  the  spot  where  the  bullet  struck  the  mat- 
tress and  where  it  went  into  the  floor — extend 
this  line  and  we  find  the  quarter  from  where  the 
shot  was  fired."  A  doctor  came  forward. 

"M.  Juve,"  he  said,  "that  would  bring  us  to 
the  door  of  the  staff's  room." 

"Ah,  it's  you,  Doctor  Chaleck!  I'm  glad  to 
see  you!  You  are  quite  right  in  your  surmise. 
Do  you  see  any  objection  to  my  reasoning?" 

"I  do.  I  came  into  the  ward  barely  two  sec- 
onds before  the  firing.  No  one  was  behind  me 
and  no  one  was  walking  before  me." 


62  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

Juve  crossed  to  the  door. 

"It  is  from  here  that  the  shots  were  fired!" 

And  the  detective  added  triumphantly  as  he 
stooped  and  picked  up  an  object  from  the  floor: 

"And  this  backs  up  my  assertion!" 

He  held  out  a  revolver,  still  loaded  in  four 
chambers.  "A  precious  bit  of  evidence!"  He 
turned  to  the  doctor: 

"Can  a  stranger  get  into  the  wards  by  this 
door?" 

"Utterly  impossible,  M.  Juve!  Only  those 
thoroughly  familiar  with  Lariboisiere  can  get  into 
the  ward  through  the  laboratory.  You  must 
pass  through  the  surgical  divisions." 

The  detective  seated  himself  at  the  foot  of  the 
sick  woman's  bed  and  mechanically  laid  the  re- 
volver beside  him.  But  scarcely  had  he  done  so 
when  he  sprang  up.  Upon  the  sheet  was  a  tiny 
red  speck  left  by  the  muzzle  of  the  weapon. 

"Ah! — that's  very  instructive!"  he  cried.  And 
as  the  others  crowded  round,  puzzled,  Juve 
added:  "Don't  you  see?  The  murderer  ran  his 
finger  along  the  barrel  to  steady  his  aim,  and  as 
the  barrel  is  very  short,  the  bullet  grazed  the  tip 
of  his  finger  which  extended  slightly  beyond  it. 
If  I  find  anyone  in  the  hospital  with  a  wounded 
finger,  I've  got  the  murderer!  Gentlemen,  I  am 
going  to  ask  the  director  to  issue  orders  for 


FANTOMAS  63 

everyone  within  the  hospital  gates  to  pass  be- 
fore me.  I  reckon  that  in  two  hours  at  most  the 
culprit  will  no  longer  be  at  large." 

The  attempted  murder  happened  at  three 
o'clock;  about  six  o'clock,  those  who  had  first 
been  examined  by  Juve  had  received  permission 
to  leave  the  hospital  and  were  beginning  to  de- 
part. 

With  a  careless  step  Doctor  Chaleck  made  for 
the  exit  by  which  he  issued  every  evening  from 
Lariboisiere.  As  he  was  about  to  pass  out,  a 
police  inspector  barred  his  way. 

"Excuse  me,  sir.     Have  you  a  pass?" 

"A  pass?" 

"Yes,  sir;  no  one  is  allowed  to  leave  to-day 
without  a  pass  from  M.  Juve." 

The  doctor  looked  at  his  watch. 

"The  deuce,"  he  said.  "I'm  late  as  it  is. 
Where  am  I  to  get  this  pass  ?" 

"You  must  ask  M.  Juve  himself  for  it.  He 
is  in  the  director's  private  room." 

"All  right,  I'll  go  there."  And  Doctor  Cha- 
leck retraced  his  steps. 


VIII 

THE   SEARCH   FOR  THE   CRIMINAL 

"It's  astounding!"  declared  M.  de  Maufil. 
"We  have  already  examined  nearly  two  hundred 
persons  and  found  nothing." 

"That  may  be,"  replied  Juve,  "but  we  may 
discover  the  culprit  by  the  two  hundred  and  first 
hand  held  out  to  us." 

"There  is  one  thing  you  forget,  M.  Juve." 

"What  is  that?" 

"If  the  culprit  gets  wind  of  our  method  of  in- 
vestigation, if  he  has  any  notion  that  you  are  in- 
specting the  hands  of  all  those  who  desire  to 
leave  the  hospital,  he  won't  be  such  a  ninny  as  to 
come  and  submit  to  your  inspection." 

Juve  nodded  approval  of  the  comment. 

"You  are  right;  but  I  have  taken  means  to  ob- 
viate that  difficulty." 

Since  he  had  begun  his  inquiry  on  the  spot, 
from  the  very  moment  when  the  revolver  shots 

64 


FANTOMAS  65 

had  rung  out,  the  great  detective  was  growing 
more  and  more  sure  that  the  arrest  of  the  mys- 
terious offender  would  be  a  matter  of  consider- 
able time.  The  buildings  of  the  establishment 
were  extensive,  and  it  was  easy  for  a  man  to 
move  about  them  without  attracting  attention. 
They  offered  really  strange  facilities  for  hiding. 

"Mr.  Director,"  said  Juve,  "I  fancy  we  have 
inspected  pretty  well  all  the  persons  who  leave 
Lariboisiere  as  a  rule,  at  this  time?" 

"That  is  so." 

"Then  we  must  now  change  our  plan.  Let  us 
leave  a  nurse  here  to  detain  those  who  come  to 
ask  for  passes,  and  begin  a  search  of  the  hospital 
ourselves.  I  shall  post  my  officers  in  line,  each 
man  keeping  in  sight  the  one  behind  and  the 
one  before  him.  At  the  foot  of  every  staircase 
I  shall  leave  a  sentry.  Then,  beginning  at  the 
outer  wall  of  the  building  we  will  drive  everyone 
on  the  ground  floor  toward  the  other  end.  If  we 
don't  round  up  our  man  there,  we  will  proceed  to 
the  floor  above." 

"A  good  idea,"  replied  M.  de  Maufil.  "We 
shall  catch  him  in  a  trap." 

When  Doctor  Chaleck  found  that  the  inspec- 
tor watching  the  exit  leading  to  the  main  door 
in  the  Rue  Ambroise  Pare  refused  him  leave  to 
pass  out  of  the  hospital  without  the  sanction  of 


66  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

the  great  detective,  he  had  perforce  to  retrace  his 
steps.  Skirting  the  bushes  in  the  courtyard  he 
took  his  way  toward  the  medical  wards,  turning 
his  back  on  the  directoral  offices,  where  he  might 
have  encountered  our  friend  Juve.  He  had  taken 
off  his  white  uniform  and  was  dressed  in  his 
street  clothes.  He  halted  at  the  entrance  to  the 
long  glazed  gallery  which  extends  to  the  operat- 
ing rooms  of  the  surgical  department.  Turning 
suddenly,  he  saw  in  the  distance  and  coming  his 
way  Inspector  Juve,  accompanied  by  the  director. 
He  noticed  at  the  same  time  the  cordon  of  offi- 
cers preparing  to  sweep  the  hospital  from  end 
to  end.  Mechanically,  and  as  if  bent  on  putting 
a  certain  distance  between  him  and  the  new-com- 
ers, he  turned  into  the  glazed  gallery,  and  reached 
the  far  end  of  it.  He  was  about  to  go  into  the 
surgical  ward  when  a  nurse  stopped  him. 

"Doctor,  you  can't  go  in  just  now;  Professor 
Hugard  is  operating  and  has  given  express  or- 
ders that  no  one  is  to  be  admitted." 

Chaleck  turned  up  the  gallery  again,  but  ab- 
ruptly swung  round  again  as  he  caught  sight  of 
Juve  and  the  director  just  entering  the  gallery, 
driving  before  them  half  a  dozen  patients  and 
orderlies.  Chaleck  joined  this  little  group,  which 
had  pulled  up  at  the  end  of  the  gallery  and  was 
making  laughing  comments  on  the  rigid  inspec- 


FANTOMAS  67 

tion  to  which  Juve  was  just  about  to  subject 
them. 

"Now's  the  time  to  show  clean  hands,"  joked 
a  non-resident,  "eh,  Miss  Victorine?"  he  added, 
smiling  at  a  buxom  nurse  whom  the  chances  of 
duty  had  blockaded  in  the  corridor. 

"Depend  upon  it,"  growled  one  of  the  account- 
ants of  the  administrative  department,  shrugging 
his  shoulders,  "they  are  making  a  great  fuss  over 
nothing.  After  all,  no  one  is  hurt.  Just  one 
more  pistol  shot;  in  this  neighbourhood  we  have 
ceased  to  count  them." 

An  old  man,  who  had  his  hand  bandaged,  sug- 
gested: "Perhaps  they'll  be  wanting  to  arrest  me 
since  the  culprit  is  wounded  in  the  fingers,  they 
say." 

Dignified  and  calm,  Juve  did  his  best  to  re- 
store liberty  to  each  of  the  persons  brought  to- 
gether. They  had  only  to  show  their  two  hands 
held  up  in  front  of  the  face,  the  fingers  apart. 
M.  de  Maufil,  at  a  sign  from  Juve,  immediately 
bade  the  attendant  hand  the  person  in  question  a 
card  bearing  his  name  and  description.  Armed 
with -this  "Sesame"  he  could  come  and  go  unim- 
peded all  over  the  hospital. 

Pointing  to  a  large  door  at  the  extreme  end  of 
the  corridor,  Juve  asked: 

"What  exit  is  that?" 


68  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

The  other  smiled.  "You  want  to  see  every- 
thing, don't  you?" 

The  director,  opening  the  heavy  door,  made 
room  for  Juve,  who  entered  a  very  narrow  pas- 
sage, damp  and  quite  dark.  The  passage,  a  short 
one,  opened  on  a  vast  apartment,  much  like  a 
cellar,  lighted  by  airholes  in  the  ceiling  and  in- 
tensely cold.  A  noise  of  running  water  from 
open  taps  broke  with  its  monotonous  splash  the 
silence  of  this  place,  solely  furnished  with  a  huge 
slab  of  wood  running  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
Upon  the  slab  dim  and  lengthy  white  shapes  were 
outstretched,  and  when  his  eyes  grew  accustomed 
to  the  twilight,  Juve  recognised  the  vague  out- 
line of  these  weird  bundles.  They  were  corpses 
swathed  in  shrouds.  The  heads  and  shoulders 
alone  were  visible,  and  on  the  brows  of  the  dead 
trickled  icy  water,  dispensed  sparingly  but  regu- 
larly by  duck-billed  taps  that  overhung  the  in- 
clined plane. 

The  director  explained:  "This  is  the  amphi- 
theatre where  we  keep  the  bodies  for  post-mor- 
tems. Do  you  want  to  stay  any  longer?" 

"There  is  no  access  to  the  room  except  by  the 
door  we  came  in  at?" 

"None." 

"In  that  case,"  rejoined  Juve,  "and  as  there 
is  no  furniture  here  for  a  person  to  hide  in,  let  us 


FANTOMAS  69 

look    elsewhere.    It's  a  rather  gruesome  place." 

"You're  not  used  to  the  sight,  that's  all,"  re- 
plied the  director,  as  he  led  the  way  back  to  his 
office. 

Juve  looked  at  his  watch.  "Well,  I  must 
leave  you  now  and  make  a  report  to  M.  Havard. 
I'm  afraid  the  murderer  has  slipped  through  our 
fingers." 

"But  you'll  come  back?" 

"Of  course." 

"What  am  I  to  do  meanwhile?" 

"Nothing,  unless  you  care  to  go  over  the  hos- 
pital again." 

"And  the  passes?  Are  they  to  be  in  force 
still?  We  have  no  one  in  the  place  but  the  staff." 

"That  is  essential,"  replied  Juve.  "I  must 
know  with  certainty  who  comes  in  and  goes  out. 
However,  anyone  known  to  your  doorkeeper 
who  wishes  to  leave  need  only  sign  in  a  regis- 
ter." 


IX 

IN  THE   REFRIGERATORY 

It  was  light  in  the  evening.  One  by  one  the 
rooms  in  Lariboisiere  were  being  lit  up. 

The  one  exception  was  the  grim  amphitheatre, 
whose  occupants  would  never  need  to  see  again. 

Suddenly — and  if  anyone  had  been  present, 
he  would  have  experienced  the  most  frightful  im- 
pression it  is  possible  to  conceive — a  corpse 
stirred. 

Having  assured  himself  that  the  door  between 
the  amphitheatre  and  the  gallery  was  shut,  the 
corpse,  shivering  with  cold,  threw  off  the  shroud 
which  enveloped  him,  and  set  to  work  to  move 
his  legs  and  arms  about  to  start  up  his  circula- 
tion. Then  at  the  far  end  of  the  apartment  this 
living  corpse  discovered,  under  a  zinc  basin  at- 
tached to  the  wall,  a  bundle  of  linen  and  gar- 
ments, which  he  seized  upon. 

His  body  shaking  with  cold,  the  man  dressed 
70 


FANTOMAS  71 

himself  in  haste,  and  then  waited  until  he  con- 
sidered his  clothes  sufficiently  dry  not  to  attract 
attention. 

Carefully  ascertaining  that  the  gallery  was  de- 
serted, he  then  entered  it  and  walked  rapidly  to 
the  courtyard.  To  the  right  of  the  main  gate- 
way, the  smaller  gate  leading  into  the  Rue  Am- 
broise  Pare  was  open. 

The  man  passed  under  the  archway,  and  in  a 
moment  would  have  been  clear  of  Lariboisiere, 
when  the  doorkeeper  barred  his  way. 

"Excuse  me,  who  goes  there?" 

Then,  having  looked  more  closely: 

"Why  it's  Doctor  Chaleck!  You're  late  in 
leaving  us  this  evening,  doctor.  I  suppose  you've 
been  kept  pretty  busy  in  ward  22?" 

"That's  so,"  replied  Chaleck,  for  it  was  he. 
"That's  why  I'm  in  a  hurry,  Charles." 

And  Chaleck,  with  an  impatient  gesture,  was 
about  to  slip  out,  but  the  porter  stopped  him 
again. 

"One  moment,  doctor;  you  must  register  first." 

"Is  this  a  new  hospital  regulation?" 

"No,  doctor,  it's  the  police  who  have  ordered 
everyone  entering  or  leaving  the  hospital  to  sign 
his  name  in  this  book." 

The  porter,  having  taken  Doctor  Chaleck  into 
his  lodge,  opened  a  new  register,  and  pointing  to 


72  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

half  a  dozen  names  already  written  on  the  first 
page,  he  added: 

"You'll  not  be  in  bad  company;  you're  to  sign 
just  below  Professor  Hugard." 

Chaleck  smiled.  "Tell  me  the  latest  news, 
Charles.  Do  they  suspect  anyone?" 

"All  I  know  is  that  fifty  of  them  came  here 
with  dirty  shoes,  made  a  hubbub  round  the  pa- 
tients, put  the  service  out  of  gear,  and  in  the  end 
caught  nobody  at  all.  But  if  the  culprit  is  still 
here,  he  won't  get  out  without  the  bracelets  on  his 
wrists!" 

An  equivocal  smile  touched  the  pale  lips  of 
Chaleck.  It  might  be  the  weird  inhabitant  of  the 
little  house  in  Cite  Frochot  was  not  so  sure  as 
the  porter  was  of  the  astuteness  of  the  police. 
Perhaps  he  was  thinking  that  a  few  hours  be- 
fore a  certain  Doctor  Chaleck,  hemmed  in  a  pas- 
sage with  no  exits  and  about  to  be  compelled  to 
show,  like  everyone  else,  the  tips  of  his  fingers, 
had,  under  the  nose  of  the  officers,  and  even  of 
the  artful  and  astute  Juve,  suddenly  vanished, 
gone  out  of  the  world  of  the  living  and  thought 
it  necessary,  for  reasons  he  alone  knew,  to 
assume  the  rigidity  of  a  corpse,  the  stillness 
of  death.  But  the  smile  in  a  moment  became 
frozen. 

The  doctor  who  had  kept  both  hands  in  his 


FANTOMAS  73 

pockets  while  talking  to  the  porter,  suddenly  felt 
a  sharp  twinge  in  the  fingers  of  his  right  hand, 
and  it  became  moist  and  lukewarm.  This  hap- 
pened as  the  porter  held  out  the  register  for  him 
to  sign. 

"Charles,"  he  cried,  "I'm  in  a  great  hurry; 
while  I'm  signing,  please  go  out  and  stop  the 
first  taxi  that  passes." 

"Certainly,  sir,"  replied  the  man. 

Scarcely  had  the  doorkeeper  turned  his  back 
when  the  doctor,  with  infinite  precautions  drew 
out  his  right  hand  and  with  evident  difficulty  be- 
gan to  write,  holding  the  pen  between  the  third 
and  fourth  fingers,  as  though  unable  to  use  the 
fore  and  middle  ones. 

As  he  was  finishing  his  entry,  he  made  what 
was  doubtless  an  unintended  movement,  some- 
thing unexpected  happened,  for  he  suddenly 
turned  pale  and  repressed  a  heavy  oath.  Charles 
was  just  coming  back  to  the  lodge. 

"Your  taxi  is  here,  Doctor." 

"Right.     Thank  you." 

Chaleck  closed  the  register  abruptly,  jumped 
into  the  motor,  threw  an  address  to  the  driver, 
who  got  under  way.  On  seeing  the  doctor  shut 
the  register,  Charles  jcried:  "The  devil — there's 
no  blotting  paper  in  it,  it  will  be  sure  to 
blot!" 


74  EXPLOITS    OF    JUVE 

And,  though  it  was  too  late,  the  careful  man 
rushed  to  the  book  and  opened  it.  His  eyes 
became  fixed  on  the  page  where  the  signatures 
were.  He  stared,  wide-eyed. 

"Oh!— Oh!— "  he  murmured. 


THE    BLOODY   SIGNATURE 

M.  de  Maufil  was  exceedingly  nervous. 

"As  soon  as  you  went  back  to  headquarters," 
he  declared  to  Juve,  some  moments  after  that 
officer  had  been  shown  into  his  private  room,  "I 
continued  the  search  with  redoubled  efforts.  Nei- 
ther the  ward-nurses,  in  whom  I  place  complete 
confidence,  nor  the  heads  of  my  staff,  whom  I 
have  known  for  ever  so  long,  passed  the  doors 
of  the  hospital.  In  fact,  I  took  every  precaution 
and  obeyed  your  instructions  to  the  letter — yet  all 
in  vain." 

"You  found  nothing?" 

"Nothing.  Not  only  did  we  not  discover  the 
criminal,  but  we  did  not  come  upon  any  trace  of 
him." 

"That's  strange."    - 

"It  is  maddening.  It  would  seem  that  from 
the  instant  the  man  fired  those  two  shots  in  the 

75 


76  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

woman's  ward  in  Patel's  department  he  van- 
ished, unaccountably.  Your  notion  of  examining 
the  hands  of  all  those  in  the  hospital  was  an 
excellent  one,  but  nothing  came  of  it. 

"He  must  have  known  the  snare  we  were 
preparing  for  him  and  did  not  turn  up  at  the 
hospital  exit,  so  we  must  naturally  conclude  he 
is  still  inside  the  gates,  hidden  in  some  remote 
corner,  or  underground.  However,  the  first 
thing  to  do  is  to  protect  the  girl,  Josephine.  By 
the  by,  she  saw  nothing,  I  suppose?" 

"She  declares  she  did  not  see  Loupart  come 
in,  but  she  asserts  with  a  sort  of  perverse  pride 
that  it  was  certainly  Loupart  who  fired  at  her 
because  he  had  threatened  to  do  so." 

A  knock  at  the  door  was  followed  by  the 
timid  entrance  of  the  doorkeeper. 

"Is  that  you,  Charles?  Come  in,"  cried  the 
director.  "What  do  you  want?" 

"It's  about  the  signature,  sir.  There  is  blood 
on  my  book." 

In  a  moment  Juve  leaped  from  his  chair  and 
tore  the  register  out  of  the  porter's  hands. 

"Blood!" 

Feverishly  he  turned  the  pages  until  he  came 
to  the  writing.  Without  waiting  for  de  Maufil's 
permission,  he  dismissed  the  porter. 

"Very  good,  I'll  see  you  presently." 


FANTOMAS  77 

Scarcely  had  the  door  shut,  when  Juve  pointed 
to  the  page.  "Look!  Doctor  Chaleck's  signa- 
ture! And  just  below  it  this  mark  of  blood! 
What  do  you  say  to  that,  sir?" 

"But  it's  sheer  madness.  Chaleck  cannot  be 
guilty!" 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  he  is  known  to  me.  He  was  recom- 
mended to  me  seven  months  ago  by  an  old  com- 
rade of  mine.  Chaleck  is  a  man  of  brains,  a  for- 
eign physician,  a  Belgian.  He  comes  here  spe- 
cially to  study  intermittent  fevers.  M.  Juve,  I 
tell  you  he  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  this 
affair."  Juve  picked  up  his  hat  and  stick.  He 
was  restless  and  uneasy;  the  directors'  outburst 
had  not  greatly  impressed  him. 

"Doctor  Chaleck  could  not  explain  how  his 
finger  came  to  be  hurt  and  he  did  not  inform  us 
of  the  fact." 

"A  mere  coincidence." 

"Possibly,  but  it  is  a  terrible  coincidence  for 
that  man,"  replied  Juve. 

On  leaving  the  director's  room,  the  distin- 
guished detective  could  not  refrain  from  rubbing 
his  hands.  "This  time  I  have  him!"  he  muttered. 
He  went  rapidly  down  the  stairs,  crossed  the 
great  courtyard  of  the  hospital,  and  proceeded 
to  knock  at  the  porter's  lodge. 


7  8  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Tell  me,  my  friend,  precisely  how  Doctor 
Chaleck's  leaving  the  hospital  came  about?" 

The  worthy  man  with  much  detail,  for  he  now 
felt  very  proud  of  having  played  a  part  in  the 
affair,  related  how  Doctor  Chaleck  came  to  the 
gate,  sent  him  after  a  cab  while  signing  his  name, 
then  made  off,  after  having,  no  doubt  by  an  over- 
sight, closed  the  register. 

"Very  good!  Thank  you,"  was  Juve's  com- 
ment, bestowing  a  liberal  tip  on  the  man. 

This  time  he  was  leaving  Lariboisiere  for 
good. 

"Very  characteristic,  that  piece  of  impudence," 
he  reflected;  "very  like  Doctor  Chaleck  that  de- 
vice of  shutting  the  register  he  had  just  stained 
with  blood  in  order  to  give  himself  time  to  make 
off!"  On  reaching  the  Boulevard  Magenta  he 
hailed  a  cab. 

"Rue  Montmartre.  Stop  at  the  Capital  office. 
You  know  it?" 

A  few  minutes  later  Juve  was  shown  into 
Fandor's  office.  But  the  detective  no  longer  wore 
a  smiling  face,  and  his  air  of  abstraction  did  not 
escape  his  friend. 

"Anything  fresh?"  inquired  Fandor. 

"Much  that  is  fresh!  That's  why  I  came  here 
to  see  you." 

The  journalist  smiled.     "Thanks,  Juve.     It  is, 


FANTOMAS  79 

indeed,  owing  to  you  that  the  Capital  is  the  best 
posted  sheet  in  town." 

Then  the  detective  proceeded  to  tell  the  re- 
porter the  startling  discovery  he  had  just  made 
at  Lariboisiere.  He  concluded: 

"There,  I  suppose  you  can  turn  that  into  a 
thrilling  story,  eh?" 

"I  certainly  can." 

"The  arrest  is  now  scarcely  more  than  a  mat- 
ter of  time." 

"And  how  are  you  going  to  set  about  it?" 

"I  don't  quite  know.    Well,  good-bye." 

Fandor  let  the  officer  reach  the  door  of  the 
office,  then  called  him  back. 

"Juve!" 

"Fandor!" 

"You  are  hiding  something  from  me." 

"I?     Nonsense." 

"Yes,"  persisted  Fandor.  "You  are  conceal- 
ing something.  Don't  deny  it.  I  know  you  too 
well,  my  friend,  to  be  content  with  your  reti- 
cences." 

"My  reticences?" 

"You  didn't  come  here  merely  to  give  me 
copy." 

"Why " 

"No.  You  had  some  idea  in  coming  to  look 
me  up  and  then  you  changed  your  mind.  Why?" 


8o  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"I  assure  you  you  are  mistaken." 

Fandor  rose. 

"All  right,  if  you  won't  tell  me,  I  shall  follow 
you."  At  the  journalist's  announcement  Juve 
shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"That's  what  I  feared.  But  it's  absurd  to  be 
always  dragging  you  into  risky  affairs." 

"Where  are  we  going?"  asked  Fandor  briefly, 
as  he  lit  a  cigarette. 

"We  are  going  to-night  to  Doctor  Chaleck's. 
If  he's  there  we  will  force  a  confession  from  him; 
if  he's  not  there,  we  will  ransack  his  house  for 
clues,"  and  Juve  added,  smiling,  "like  good  bur- 
glars. I  have  a  whole  bunch  of  false  keys.  We 
shall  be  able  to  get  into  Doctor  Chaleck's  with- 
out ringing  his  bell.  Here's  a  snapshot  I  took 
of  Josephine  at  the  hospital."  And  throwing  the 
proof  on  Fandor's  desk,  he  said  smilingly: 
'The  young  woman's  not  bad  looking,  is  she  ?" 


XI 

THE    SHOWER   OF   SAND 

"I'm  afraid  it's  not  quite  the  thing  to  enter 
people's  houses  in  this  fashion,"  whispered  Juve, 
as  the  two  men  found  themselves  in  the  hall  of 
Doctor  Chaleck's  little  house  in  the  Frochot  dis- 
trict. 

It  was  about  midnight,  and  through  the  fan- 
light of  the  outer  door  a  dim  twilight  enabled  the 
detective  and  the  journalist  to  get  an  idea  of  the 
place  in  which  they  stood. 

It  was  a  fairly  large  hall  with  double  doors  on 
either  hand,  leading  into  the  drawing-  and  dining- 
rooms.  At  the  far  end  rose  a  winding  staircase, 
and  under  it  a  door  to  the  cellar.  A  hanging 
lamp,  unlit,  was  suspended  from  the  ceiling  and 
the  walls  were  covered  with  dark  tapestries. 

Juve  and  Fandor  remained  silent  and  motion- 
less for  some  moments/  They  might  well  be  per- 
turbed, for  they  had  just  entered  the  house  in  the 

81 


82  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

most  unwarrantable  manner,  and  they  knew  the 
doctor  to  be  at  home.  The  lodge-keeper  of  the 
Cite  had  seen  him  return  about  two  hours  ago. 
For  one  moment  Juve  had  asked  himself  whether 
he  should  not  ring  in  the  most  natural  manner  in 
the  world,  and  afterwards  contrive  some  explana- 
tion; but  the  silence,  the  peace  which  prevailed 
and  the  conviction  that  Doctor  Chaleck,  quite  off 
his  guard,  must  be  enjoying  deep  slumber, 
prompted  him  to  try  and  get  into  the  house  un- 
announced. If  the  door  was  only  bolted,  if  it  was 
not  secured  from  within  by  a  latch,  the  officer 
might  reckon  on  finding  among  his  pass  keys  one 
that  would  allow  him  to  open  it.  Juve  was,  in- 
deed, equipped  like  the  prince  of  burglars. 

Well,  the  attempt  had  succeeded.  Without 
trouble  or  noise,  journalist  and  officer  had  made 
their  way  into  the  place. 

Before  imparting  to  Fandor  his  plan  of  oper- 
ations, Juve  handed  him  a  pair  of  rubbers,  and 
then  at  a  signal  they  both  ascended  to  the  first 
floor. 

The  detective's  plan  was  to  make  a  sudden  in- 
cursion into  Chaleck's  bedroom,  and  in  the  sur- 
prise of  a  sudden  awakening,  question  him  and 
inspect  the  fingers  of  his  right  hand,  which,  pre- 
sumably, had  left  on  the  register  a  tell-tale  trace 
of  blood. 


FANTOMAS  83 

Juve  had  scarcely  entered  the  room  when  Fan- 
dor  switched  on  the  lights;  the  two  men  started 
back  in  disgust;  the  room  was  empty! 

Without  pause,  Juve  cried:  "To  the  study!" 

A  moment  later  they  found  themselves  in  the 
room  they  knew  so  well  from  having  spent  a 
whole  night  there,  behind  the  window  curtains. 

Chaleck  was  not  there  either.  Fandor  searched 
the  bathroom  near  by,  careless  of  the  noise  he 
made,  then  hurried  after  Juve  to  the  floor  below 
in  the  fear  that  the  doctor  might  already  have 
made  his  escape. 

Juve  quickly  reasurred  him  the  windows  and 
shutters  of  the  rooms  were  hermetically  closed; 
the  hall  door  had  not  been  touched. 

Suddenly  slight  sounds  became  audible  from 
the  floor  above.  A  crackling  of  the  boards,  the 
muffled  sounds  of  hasty  footsteps,  faint  rustlings. 

"Chaleck  knows  we  are  here,"  whispered  Juve. 
"We  must  play  with  our  cards  on  the  table." 

The  two  men  cocked  their  pistols  and  made  a 
rush  upstairs.  They  had  left  the  electric  light 
burning  on  the  floor  above,  and  at  first  their  eyes 
were  dazzled  by  the  sudden  brightness,  multiplied 
by  the  reflection  from  the  glass  which  lined  the 
octagonal-shaped  landing. 

Again  the  noises  were  heard.  Chaleck  or  some 
one  else  was  in  the  study. 


84  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Juve  disappeared.  In  half  a  minute  he  re- 
turned and  bumped  into  Fandor. 

"Where  are  you  coming  from?"  he  cried.  "I 
thought  you  were  behind  me." 

"So  I  was,"  replied  Fandor,  "but  I  left  you  to 
take  a  look  in  the  study." 

"But  it  was  I  who  was  in  the  study!" 

Fandor  stared  in  amazement.  "Are  you  losing 
your  senses?" 

"I've  just  come  from  there  myself!" 

"Well,  we  weren't  there  together,  that's  cer- 
tain. Let's  try  again." 

The  two  proceeded  in  the  dark  to  the  head  of 
the  staircase.  With  their  heels  they  verified  the 
last  step;  then  Juve  said  in  a  low  voice: 

"I  will  go  forward  four  paces.  I  am  now  in 
the  middle  of  the  landing;  I  lift  the  curtain,  turn 
and  go  in." 

The  steady  tick  of  the  little  Empire  clock  on 
the  mantelpiece  assured  Juve  that  he  was  indeed 
in  the  study. 

"Well,  here  I  am,"  and  mechanically  he  flung 
his  hat  on  the  sofa.  But  scarcely  had  he  uttered 
these  words  when  Fandor's  voice,  very  clear,  but 
some  way  off  answered 

"I  am  in  the  study,  too." 

Juve  now  switched  on  the  light.  Fandor  was 
not  there.  Rushing  back  to  the  landing  he  ran 


FANTOMAS  85 

full  tilt  into  his  friend  and  the  two  gripped  each 
other  in  amazement. 

"Look  here,"  exclaimed  Fandor,  "if  I'm  not 
mistaken,  you  turned  to  the  right  past  the  cur- 
tain while  I  went  to  the  left;  there  may  be  two 
separate  entrances  to  the  study." 

"Let  us  keep  together  this  time,"  replied  Juve; 
"I  propose  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  mystery." 

As  they  came  out  of  the  darkness  of  the  pas- 
sage and  plunged  into  the  full  light  of  the  room, 
Juve  stopped  short.  His  hat  was  no  longer  on 
the  sofa. 

Fandor  went  to  the  mantelpiece,  turned  and 
confronted  the  detective. 

"I  stopped  the  clock  some  moments  ago,  and 
here  it  is  going  and  keeping  exact  time !  How  do 
you  account  for  it?" 

Juve  was  about  to  reply,  when  suddenly  with 
a  dry  click  the  light  went  out. 

Fandor,  at  the  same  moment,  gave  a  startled 
cry:  "Juve!  the  door  is  fastened;  we  are  shut 
in!" 

With  one  bound  Juve  leaped  for  the  window; 
but  after  opening  the  casement  he  perceived  that 
thick  iron  shutters,  padlocked,  banished  all  hope 
of  escape  in  that  quarter.  Fandor  was  ashy  pale ; 
Juve  staggered  as  he  moved  toward  him. 

"Walled  in!"  he  cried.    "We  are  walled  in!" 


86  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

But  a  new  terror  suddenly  confronted  the  two 
men.  The  floor  appeared  to  be  giving  way, 
and  as  the  descent  proceeded  regularly,  they 
realised  that  they  were  in  a  strange  form  of 
elevator. 

The  study,  however,  did  not  drop  very  far. 
With  a  slight  shock  it  reached  the  end  of  the  run 
and  stopped  short. 

Juve  cried  with  an  air  of  relief,  "Well,  here  we 
are,  and  it  now  remains  to  find  out  where  we 
are." 

The  existence  of  two  studies  identical  in  every 
particular,  one  of  which  was  housed  in  an  eleva- 
tor, explained  not  only  the  events  of  the  evening, 
but  also  the  tragedy  of  two  days  before. 

"Juve!  did  you  feel  anything?" 

"Yes." 

"What  is  it?" 

"I  don't  know." 

Both  had  just  experienced  a  weird  sensation, 
impossible  to  define.  Upon  their  hands  and  faces 
slight  prickings  irritated  the  skin.  The  air  at  the 
same  time  seemed  heavier  and  more  difficult  to 
breathe.  There  was,  besides,  a  soft,  vague 
crackling.  With  some  difficulty  Juve  lighted  his 
pocket-lamp.  By  its  faint  glimmer  the  two  men 
made  a  discovery.  A  fine  rain  of  sand  was  fall- 
ing from  the  ceiling. 


FANTOMAS  87 

"It's  collapsed!"  cried  Fandor. 

"We're  done  for!"  replied  Juve. 

They  passed  through  some  awful  moments.  All 
around  the  sand  gathered  and  rose. 

Juve  tried  to  comfort  his  friend: 

"It  would  need  an  enormous  amount  of  sand 
to  fill  this  room  and  bury  us  alive.  It  will  cease 
to  fall  presently." 

But  horrible  to  relate,  as  the  level  of  the  sand 
rose  on  the  floor,  they  observed  by  the  flickering 
gleam  of  the  lamp,  that  the  ceiling  was  now  be- 
ing lowered  little  by  little. 

Fandor  raised  his  arm  and  touched  it.  They 
were  about  to  be  crushed. 

"Juve,  do  not  let  me  die  this  way.     Kill  me!" 

His  comrade  made  no  reply.  At  first  para- 
lysed by  the  shock  he  now  felt  an  unspeakable 
fury  rise  up  in  him.  He  began  beating  the  walls 
with  his  fists,  shaking  the  furniture.  He  seized 
a  chair  and  drove  it  against  the  door.  The  chair 
struck  with  a  ring  upon  metal  and  broke. 

Uttering  a  loud  sigh,  the  detective  drew  out 
his  revolver;  he  would,  at  least,  save  his  friend 
the  torments  of  an  awful  death.  Suddenly  a  fear- 
ful crash  resounded.  The  moving  mass  of  sand 
was  falling  away  from  them  into  some  gaping 
hole  below,  while  at  the  same  time  fresh,  moist 
air  reached  them  and  refreshed  their  lungs.  Evi- 


88  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

dently  some  communication  with  the  outside 
world  had  been  established. 

Juve  relit  his  lamp  and  was  bending  over  to 
examine  what  had  taken  place  when  the  floor  all 
at  once  gave  way  under  his  feet  and  he  fell,  drag- 
ging Fandor  with  him. 

They  found  themselves  up  to  mid-leg  in  water, 
but  unhurt, 

Juve's  voice  rang  out:  "We  are  saved!  I  see 
now  what  happened!  Our  trap  had  a  thin  floor- 
ing, and,  when  down,  it  rested  on  a  fragile  arch. 
That  arch  gave  way,  and  with  the  sand  we  have 
tumbled  into  the  sewer  of  the  Place  Pigalle, 
which,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  connects  with  the 
main  of  the  Chaussee  d'Autin.  Come  along, 
friend  Fandor,  we'll  find  means  to  get  out  of  this 
before  long." 

Floundering  in  the  mud,  they  made  their  way 
along  the  drain  until  Juve  halted  and  uttered  a 
cry  of  triumph.  On  the  left  wall  of  the  vault 
his  hand  encountered  iron  rings  one  above  the 
other.  It  was  a  ladder  leading  to  one  of  the 
manholes  in  the  pavement.  He  quickly  climbed 
up  and,  with  a  vigorous  push,  raised  the  heavy 
slab.  In  a  few  moments  both  men  emerged  and 
fell  exhausted  in  the  roadway. 

When  Fandor  recovered  his  senses  he  was  ly- 
ing in  a  large,  ill-lighted  hall.  The  first  sound 


FANTOMAS  89 

he  heard  was  Juve's  voice  arguing  hotly  and  vol- 
ubly. 

"Why,  you're  nothing  but  a  pack  of  idiots! 
We  burglars !  It's  utter  rot.  I  tell  you  I'm  Juve, 
Inspector  of  Public  Safety!" 


XII 

FOLLOWING  JOSEPHINE 

The  captives  had  been  recognised,  and  had 
been  set  at  liberty.  They  had  scarcely  got  a  few 
yards  from  the  police  station,  when  Juve  took 
the  journalist's  arm. 

"Let's  make  haste!"  he  cried.  "This  foolish 
arrest  has  made  us  lose  precious  hours." 

"You  have  a  plan,  Juve?    What  is  it?" 

"We  must  now  turn  our  attention  to  Jose- 
phine; we  must  use  her  as  a  bait  to  catch  the 
others.  The  girl  won't  be  much  longer  at  Lari- 
boisiere.  She  will  be  extremely  anxious  to  leave 
that  place  and " 

"And  go  back  to  clear  herself  of  treachery 
in  Loupart's  eyes?  Is  that  it?"  added  Fan- 
dor. 

"Exactly.  Accordingly  here  is  our  plan  of  ac- 
tion. I  must  go  at  once  to  the  Prefecture  and 
advise  M,  Havard  of  our  adventure.  Mean- 


FANTOMAS  91 

while  you  go  to  the  hospital.  Contrive  to  see 
Josephine,  make  sure  she  has  not  left,  watch  her 
and  then — wait  for  me;  in  two  hours,  at  the  lat- 
est, I  shall  be  with  you." 

"All  right,  Juve,  you  can  reckon  on  me.  Jose- 
phine shall  not  escape  me." 

Fandor  was  already  moving  off  when  Juve 
called  him  back. 

"Wait!  If  ever  for  one  reason  or  another  you 
want  an  appointment  with  me,  telegraph  to  the 
Safety,  room  44,  in  my  name.  I  will  see  that 
the  messages  always  reach  me." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Fandor  was  turn- 
ing into  the  Rue  Ambroise  Pare,  when  all  at  once 
as  he  passed  a  woman  he  gave  a  start. 

"Hullo!"  he  cried;  "that's  something  we  didn't 
bargain  for!  .  .  ." 

The  woman  walked  along  the  Boulevard  Cha- 
pelle  toward  the  Boulevard  Barbes.  Fandor  fol- 
lowed her. 

When  the  great  clock  which  adorns  the  main 
front  of  the  Lariboisiere  buildings  struck  six,  the 
nurses  in  the  hospital  were  busy  finishing  their 
preparations  for  the  night. 

The  surgeon  in  Dr.  Patel's  division  was  just 
concluding  his  evening , visit  to  the  patients.  With 
a  word  of  encouragement  and  cheer  he  passed 
from  bed  to  bed  until  he  reached  the  one  at  the 


92  EXPLOITS    OF    JUVE 

end  of  the  ward.     The  young  woman  occupying 
it  was  sitting  up. 

"So  you  want  to  be  off,"  exclaimed  the 
surgeon. 

"Yes,  doctor." 

"Then  you're  not  comfortable  here?" 

"Yes,  doctor,  but " 

"But,  what?    Are  you  still  afraid?" 
'No,  no." 

The  patient  spoke  these  last  words  so  con- 
fidently that  the  surgeon  could  not  help  smil- 
ing. 

"Do  you  know,"  he  observed,  "that  in  your 
place  I  should  be  much  less  confident.  What 
are  you  going  to  do?  Where  do  you  think  of 
going  when  you  leave  here?  Come,  now,  you 
are  still  very  weak;  you  had  much  better  spend 
the  night  here.  You  could  go  to-morrow  morn- 
ing after  the  round  at  eleven.  It  would  be  much 
more  rational." 

The  young  woman  shook  her  head  and  replied 
curtly : 

"I  want  to  go  now,  sir,  at  once." 

"Very  good.     They  will  give  you  your  ticket." 

The  doctor  gone,  the  young  woman  quickly 
jumped  out  of  bed  and  began  to  dress  herself. 

"You  don't  suppose  I'm  going  to  stay  here  a 
minute  longer  than  I  have  to,"  she  grumbled  with 


FANTOMAS  93 

a  laugh  to  her  neighbour,  who  was  watching  her 
preparations  with  an  envious  eye. 

"Some  one  waiting  for  you?" 

"Sure  there  is.  Loupart  won't  be  pleased  that 
I'm  not  back  yet." 

"Are  you  going  from  here  to  his  place?" 

"You  bet  I  am." 

This  she  said  in  a  tone  that  showed  plainly 
she  found  the  thing  quite  natural.  The  other 
was  not  of  her  mind. 

"Oh,  well,  I  should  be  scared  only  at  the 
thought  of  seeing  that  man.  You  were  jolly 
lucky  not  to  have  been  killed  by  him.  And  when 
he  has  got  hold  of  you " 

But  Josephine  laughed  merrily. 

"My  dear,"  she  said,  "you  don't  know  what 
you're  saying.  Depend  on  it,  if  Loupart  didn't 
kill  me  it's  because  he  didn't  want  to.  He's  a 
splendid  shot.  I  suppose  he  had  his  reasons  for 
not  wanting  me  to  stay  here;  I  don't  know  his 
affairs,  and  besides,  I  came  here  without  consult- 
ing him." 

A  vigorous  "hush"  from  the  nurse  on  duty 
stopped  the  conversation. 

Josephine  meanwhile  completed  her  toilet.  A 
nurse  had  brought  her  back  the  clothes  she  wore 
when  she  entered  the  hospital.  She  slipped  on  a 
poor  muslin  skirt,  laced  her  bodice,  buttoned  her 


94  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

boots  and  set  her  curls  straight;  she  was  ready. 

"I'm  off,"  she  cried  gaily  to  the  porter  as  she 
held  out  her  pass  to  him.  "Thank  the  Lord,  I'm 
going,  and  I  have  no  fancy  to  come  back  to  your 
hotel!" 

Once  in  the  street,  Josephine  walked  quickly. 
She  cast  a  glance  at  the  clock  at  a  cabstand,  and 
found  she  was  behind  time. 

She  went  along  the  Rue  Ambroise  Pare,  then 
turned  on  to  the  outer  boulevards. 

The  dinner-hour  being  at  hand,  the  populous 
streets  of  the  Chapelle  quarter  were  at  their  low- 
est ebb  of  animation.  The  bookshops  had  long 
since  released  their  employees,  the  cafes  were  giv- 
ing up  their  customers.  Fandor,  having  recog- 
nised Josephine,  followed  her  closely  as  she 
passed  the  outer  boulevards,  then  by  Boulevard 
Barbes. 

"Beyond  a  doubt  she  is  bound  for  the  Goutte 
d'Or,"  he  muttered. 

Some  minutes  later,  sure  enough,  she  reached 
her  home. 

"Very  good  I  The  bird  is  back  in  the  nest: 
My  job  is  now  to  watch  the  visitors  who  come 
to  call  on  her." 

Opposite  Josephine's  door  there  was  a  wine- 
shop. This  Fandor  entered. 

"Writing  materials,  please,"  he  ordered.     "I 


FANTOMAS  95 

must  drop  a  line  to  Juve,"  he  thought.  "We 
must  begin  to  set  the  trap." 

He  was  busy  drawing  up  a  detailed  plan  of  the 
neighbourhood  when,  on  raising  his  head,  he  gave 
a  violent  start,  and,  throwing  a  coin  on  the  table, 
rushed  out  of  the  shop. 

"She  is  well  disguised,  but  there's  no  mistak- 
ing her!" 

Without  losing  sight  of  the  woman  he  was 
watching,  Fandor  reached  the  Metropolitan  Sta- 
tion. 

"Good  Lord!  What  does  this  mean?"  he 
muttered.  "Where  is  she  off  to?  She's  taking  a 
first-class  ticket.  Can  she  have  an  appointment 
with  Chaleck?"  He  also  took  a  ticket  behind 
the  young  woman  and  reached  the  platform. 

"I'm  going  where  she  goes,"  he  thought.  "But 
where  the  devil  are  we  bound  for?" 

Loupart's  mistress  was  the  embodiment  of  a 
charming  Parisian. 

Her  gown  was  tailor-made,  of  navy  blue,  plain 
but  perfectly  cut;  she  wore  little  shoes  with  high 
heels,  and  no  one  would  have  recognised  in  the 
well-dressed  woman,  who  got  out  of  the  Metro- 
politan at  the  Lyons  Station,  the  burnisher,  who, 
a  little  while  ago,  had,left  Lariboisiere. 

Josephine  had  scarcely  taken  a  few  steps  on 
the  great  Square  which  divides  Boulevard  Dide- 


96  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

rot  from  the  Lyons  Station,  when  a  young  man, 
quietly  dressed,  came  toward  her.  He  ogled 
her,  than  in  a  voice  of  marked  cordiality,  said: 

"Can  I  say  a  few  words  to  you?" 

"But,  sir " 

"Two  words,  mademoiselle,  I  beg  of  you." 

"Speak,"  she  said  at  last,  after  seeming  to 
hesitate,  halting  on  the  edge  of  the  pavement. 

"Oh,  not  here;  surely  you  will  accept  a 
glass?" 

The  young  woman  made  up  her  mind: 

"Very  well,  if  you  like." 

The  couple  directed  their  steps  toward  a 
neighbouring  "brasserie,"  and  neither  the  young 
man  nor  Josephine  dreamed  of  noticing  that  a 
passer-by  entered  the  place  in  their  wake. 

Fandor  did  not  take  a  seat  at  one  of  the  little 
tables  outside,  but  made  for  the  interior,  clev- 
erly finding  means  to  watch  the  two  in  a  glass. 

"Is  this  the  person  Josephine  was  to  meet?" 
he  wondered.  "Can  he  be  a  messenger  of  Lou- 
part's?  Yet  she  did  not  seem  to  know  him. 
Hullo!" 

Just  as  the  waiter  was  bringing  two  glasses  of 
wine  to  the  table  where  Josephine  and  her  partner 
had  seated  themselves,  the  young  woman  sud- 
denly arose,  and,  without  taking  leave,  made  for 
the  door. 


FANTOMAS  97 

Fandor  managed  to  pass  close  to  the  deserted 
man.  He  heard  the  waiter  jokingly  say: 

"Not  very  kind,  the  little  lady,  eh?" 

"I  should  think  not !  Didn't  take  her  long  to 
give  me  the  slip." 

Then  in  a  tone  of  regret  the  young  man  added : 
"Pity,  she  was  a  nice  little  thing." 

"That's  all  right,"  thought  Fandor.  "Now  I 
know  that  Josephine  accepted  the  drink  because 
she  thought  he  was  sent  by  Loupart  or  one  of 
the  gang.  Once  enlightened  as  to  his  real  object, 
she  left  him  abruptly." 

Tracking  the  young  woman,  Fandor  now  felt 
sure  he  was  going  to  witness  an  interesting  meet- 
ing. Josephine,  however,  seemed  in  no  hurry. 
She  inspected  the  illustrated  papers  in  the  kiosks, 
and  presently  reached  the  box  where  platform 
tickets  are  distributed;  having  taken  one,  she  sat 
down  near  the  foot  of  the  staircase  which  leads  to 
the  refreshment  rooms.  Behind  her  Fandor  also 
took  a  ticket,  and,  going  up  the  stairs,  leaned 
against  the  balustrade. 

"I  am  waiting  for  some  one,"  he  said  to  the 
waiter  who  appeared.  "You  may  bring  me  a 
cup  of  coffee." 

Scarcely  five  minutes  had  passed,  when  Fan- 
dor  saw  a  shabby  looking  man  approach  Jose- 
phine and  begin'  an  earnest  conversation. 


98  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

The  man  drew  from  his  pocket  a  greasy  note- 
book. From  it  he  took  a  paper  which  he  handed 
to  the  young  woman,  who  promptly  put  it  away 
in  her  handbag. 

Fandor  was  puzzled. 

"Where  was  she  going?  Why  did  this  per- 
son hand  her  a  ticket?" 

The  man  pointed  to  a  train  where  passengers 
were  already  taking  their  seats. 

"The  Marseilles  train!  So  Loupart  has  left 
Paris!" 

Then  he  called  a  messenger. 

"Go  and  get  me  a  first-class  ticket  to  Mar- 
seilles. Here  is  money.  Is  there  a  telegraph 
office  near  at  hand?" 

"On  the  arrival  platform,  sir." 

"Right.  I  will  give  you  a  message  to  take; 
go  and  hurry  back." 

Fandor  took  out  his  note-book  and  scrawled 
a  message: 

"Juve,  Prefecture  of  Police,  Room  44. 

"Have  met  Josephine  and  followed  her. 
She  is  off  first  class,  by  Marseilles  train.  Don't 
know  her  destination.  Will  wire  you  as  soon 
as  there's  anything  fresh. 

"Fandor." 


XIII 

ROBBERY;  AMERICAN  FASHION 

"Tickets,  please." 

The  guard  took  the  one  offered  by  Fandor. 

"Excuse  me,  sir,  there'^  a  mistake  here,"  he 
said. 

"This  train  doesn't  go  to  Marseilles?" 

"The  train,  yes,  but  not  the  last  carriage 
in  which  you  are,  for  it  is  bound  for  Pontarlier, 
and  will  be  slipped  at  Lyons  from  this  ex- 
press." 

Fandor  was  nonplussed.  The  essential  was  to 
follow  Josephine,  ensconced  in  the  compartment 
next  to  his. 

"Well,  I'll  get  into  another  carriage  when  we 
are  off;  it's  so  easy  with  the  corridors." 

"You  can't  do  that,  sir,"  insisted  the  guard. 
"While  all  the  carriages  for  Marseilles  in  the 
front  of  the  train  communicate,  this  one  is  sepa- 
rated from  them  by  a  baggage  car." 

99 


ioo  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Then  I'll  change  later,  during  the  night.  I 
have  till  Dijon,  haven't  I?" 

"You  have." 

The  guard  went  away.  Fandor  suddenly 
asked  himself: 

"Has  Josephine  made  a  mistake,  too?  Or  has 
she  a  definite  purpose  in  being  in  a  carriage  which 
is  to  be  slipped  from  the  Southern  Express  at 
Dijon  to  go  on  toward  the  Swiss  frontier?" 

The  guard  was  looking  at  tickets  in  Jo- 
sephine's compartment.  Fandor  went  near  to  lis- 
ten; he  heard  the  tail  of  a  conversation  between 
the  fair  traveller,  her  companion  and  the  guard. 
The  latter  declared  as  he  withdrew: 

"Exactly  so,  you  shall  not  be  disturbed." 

When  Josephine  had  boarded  the  train,  Fan- 
dor  had  not  ventured  to  watch  her  too  closely, 
nor  the  companion  she  had  met  on  the  platform 
at  the  last  moment.  He  now  decided  to  take 
advantage  of  the  corridor  to  take  a  look  at  the 
man. 

He  was  quite  stout,  rather  common  in  appear- 
ance, although  with  a  prosperous  air.  A  man  of 
middle  age,  whose  jolly  face  was  framed  in  a 
beard,  giving  him  the  look  of  an  old  mariner. 
Moreover,  he  was  v  one-eyed. 

Josephine  was  playful,  full  of  smiles  and  amia- 
bility, but  also  somewhat  absent-minded. 


FANTOMAS  101 

The  pair  had  decidedly  the  appearance  of  be- 
ing lovers. 

Although  it  was  quite  early,  passengers  were 
arranging  to  pass  the  night  as  comfortably  as 
possible.  The  lamps  had  been  shaded  with  their 
little  blue  curtains,  and  the  portieres,  facing  the 
corridors,  had  been  drawn. 

Fandor  returned  to  his  compartment.  Two 
corners  of  it  were  already  occupied — the  two 
furthest  away  from  the  corridor.  One  was  in 
possession  of  a  man  about  forty,  with  a  waxed 
moustache,  having  the  air  of  an  officer  in  mufti, 
the  other  was  taken  by  a  young  collegian  with 
a  waxen  complexion. 

The  journalist  determined  to  keep  awake,  but 
scarcely  had  he  settled  himself  when  drowsiness 
crept  over  him.  Rocked  by  the  regular  motion 
of  the  train  he  sank  into  a  slumber  troubled  by 
nightmares.  Then  suddenly  he  sprang  up.  He 
had  the  clear  impression  of  some  one  brushing 
by  him  and  opening  the  door  to  the  corridor. 

"Who  is  there?"  he  murmured  in  a  voice  thick 
with  sleep  and  drowned  by  the  rush  of  the  train. 
No  one  answered  him.  He  staggered  out  into 
the  corridor.  At  the  far  end  of  the  carriage  a 
passenger,  with  a  long  black  beard,  was  standing 
smoking  a  cigar,  arid  apparently  studying  the 
murky  country.  Not  a  sound  came  from  Jo- 


102  EXPLOITS   pF  JUVE 

sephine's  apartment.  With  a  shrug  of  his  shoul- 
ders and  cursing  his  fears,  Fandor  returned  to 
his  own  seat. 

Why  should  he  fancy,  because  he  was  follow- 
ing Josephine,  that  all  the  passengers  in  the  train 
were  cut-throats  and  accomplices  of  Loupart's 
mistress?  Yet,  five  minutes  after  these  sage  re- 
flections, Fandor  started  again;  he  had  distinctly 
seen,  passing  along  the  corridor,  two  fellows  with 
villainous  faces  and  suspicious  demeanour.  One 
of  them  cast  into  Fandor's  compartment  such  a 
murderous  glance  that  it  made  the  journalist's 
heart  palpitate. 

Fandor  glanced  at  his  companions.  The  offi- 
cer was  sleeping  soundly,  but  the  young  fellow, 
although  keeping  perfectly  still,  opened  his  eyes 
from  time  to  time  and  cast  uneasy  glances  about 
him,  then  pretended  to  sleep  as  soon  as  he  caught 
Fandor  watching  him. 

The  train  slackened  speed;  they  were  enter- 
ing Laroche  Station;  there  was  a  stop  to  change 
engines.  The  officer  suddenly  awoke  and  got 
out.  The  compartment  holding  Josephine  and 
her  companion  was  thrown  open,  and,  strange  to 
say,  his  neighbour,  the  collegian,  had  moved  into 
it,  sitting  just  opposite  the  stout  gentleman. 

Fandor,  with  a  view  to  keeping  awake,  aban- 
doned his  comfortable  seat  and  settled  himself 


FANTOMAS  103 

in  one  of  the  hammocks  in  the  corridor.  He 
chose  the  one  just  opposite  Josephine's  door. 
But  so  great  was  his  weariness  that  he  quickly 
fell  into  a  deep  sleep.  Suddenly  a  violent  shock 
sent  him  rolling  to  the  cross-seat  in  Josephine's 
compartment.  As  he  picked  himself  up  in  a 
dazed  condition,  a  cry  of  terror  broke  from  his 
lips.  Three  inches  from  his  head  was  the  muzzle 
of  a  revolver  held  by  a  big  ruffian  wearing  a 
mask,  who  cried: 

"Hands  up,  all!" 

Fandor  and  his  companions  were  too  amazed 
to  immediately  obey,  and  the  command  came 
again,  more  forcible. 

"Hands  up,  and  don't  stir  or  I'll  blow  out  your 
brains." 

And  now  a  gnome-like  individual  appeared, 
also  masked. 

The  first  one  turned  to  Josephine :  "You,  wom- 
an, out  of  here!" 

Without  betraying  by  her  expression  whether 
or  no  she  was  his  accomplice,  Josephine  hurried- 
ly left  her  place  and,  slipping  between  the  gnome 
and  the  colossus,  went  and  cowered  down  at  the 
end  of  the  carriage. 

"Go  on!"  suddenly  commanded  the  big  ruf- 
fian, who  seemed  to  be  the  leader.  "Go  on! 
rifle  'em!" 


io4  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

The  gnome,  with  wonderful  adroitness,  ran- 
sacked the  coat  and  waistcoat  pockets  of  the  trav- 
eller. The  stout  man,  shaking  with  alarm,  made  no 
resistance.  After  relieving  him  of  his  watch  and 
pocketbook,  they  forced  him  to  undo  his  shirt. 
Around  his  waist  he  wore  a  broad  leather  belt. 

"Go  it,  Beaumome,  relieve  him  of  his  burden, 
the  fat  jackass  1" 

From  the  body  of  the  traveller,  the  stolen  belt 
passed  to  the  big  masked  robber,  who  weighed 
the  prize  complacently.  The  belt  contained  pock- 
ets stuffed  with  gold  and  bank  notes.  The  two 
robbers  then  moved  away  toward  the  further 
end  of  the  carriage. 

Fandor,  furious  at  being  tricked  like  the  sim- 
plest of  greenhorns,  determined  to  seize  the  oc- 
casion to  give  the  alarm. 

The  emergency  bell  was  immediately  above  the 
pale-faced  collegian.  With  a  bound  the  journal- 
ist sprang  for  it,  but  fell  back  with  a  loud  cry 
as  he  felt  a  sharp  pain  in  his  hand.  The  col- 
legian had  leaped  up  and  cruelly  bitten  his  finger. 
So  great  was  the  pain  that  Fandor  swooned  for 
a  few  seconds,  and  that  gave  his  assailant  time 
to  cross  the  compartment  and  reach  the  corridor. 
At  this  moment  the  express  slackened  its  speed 
and  slowly  came  to  a  standstill. 

"Is  it  too  high  to  jump?" 


FANTOMAS  105 

Fandor  knew  the  voice:  it  was  Josephine's. 

"No,"  answered  some  one.  "Let  yourself  go. 
I'll  catch  you." 

The  sound  of  heavy  shoes  on  the  footboard 
told  him  that  the  robbers  were  making  off.  Jo- 
sephine went  with  them,  so  she  was  their  accom- 
plice. The  journalist  sprang  into  the  corridor  to 
rush  in  pursuit.  But  he  recoiled.  A  shot  rang 
out,  the  glass  fell  broken  before  him,  and  a  bul- 
let flattened  above  his  head  in  the  woodwork. 

It  now  seemed  to  him  that  the  train  was  grad- 
ually gathering  way  again.  Fandor  put  his  head 
through  the  broken  glass  and  searched  the  dark- 
ness outside. 

"Ah!"  he  cried  in  amazement.  There  was  no 
longer  a  train  on  the  track,  or  rather,  the  main 
body  of  the  train  was  vanishing  in  the  distance, 
while  the  carriage  in  which  he  was  and  the  rear 
baggage  car  had  pulled  up.  Apparently  the  rob- 
bers had  broken  the  couplings. 

At  the  moment,  the  stout  man,  having  quite  re- 
covered, drew  near  Fandor  and  observed  the  situ- 
ation. 

"Why,  we're  backing !  We're  backing !"  he  bel- 
lowed with  alarm. 

"Naturally,  we're  going  down  a  slope,"  calmly 
replied  Fandor.  The  other  groaned  and  wrung 
his  hands. 


106  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"It's  appalling!  The  Simplon  express  is  only 
twelve  minutes  behind  us!" 

Fandor  now  realized  the  frightful  danger. 
Without  delay  he  made  for  the  carriage  door, 
ready  to  jump  and  risk  breaking  his  bones  rather 
than  face  the  terrible  crash  which  seemed  in- 
evitable. But  before  he  could  make  up  his  mind 
to  the  leap,  a  grinding  noise  became  audible. 
The  guard  in  the  baggage  car  had  applied  the 
Westinghouse  brakes  and  in  a  few  minutes  they 
came  to  a  stop. 

Fandor  and  the  stout  gentleman  sprang  fran- 
tically out  of  the  carriage,  and  two  brakemen 
jumped  from  the  baggage  car,  crying :  "Get  away ! 
Save  yourselves!" 

Clambering  over  the  ties,  they  jumped  a  hedge, 
floundered  in  a  hole  full  of  water,  scratching  their 
hands  and  tearing  their  clothes;  they  rolled  down 
a  grassy  slope,  stuck  in  a  ploughed  field,  then 
dropped  to  the  ground,  motionless,  as  a  fearful 
din  burst  like  thunder  on  the  hush  of  the  night. 
The  Simplon  express,  racing  at  full  speed,  had 
crashed  into  the  two  carriages  left  on  the  rails 
and  smashed  them  to  bits,  while  the  engine  and 
forward  carriages  of  the  train  were  telescoped. 


XIV 

FLIGHT  THROUGH  THE  NIGHT 

Scarcely  had  Loupart  received  Josephine  in  his 
arms,  as  she  jumped  from  the  carriage,  than  he 
strenuously  urged  his  companions  to  make  haste. 

"Now,  then,  boys,  off  we  go,  and  quickly,  too ! 
Josephine,  pick  up  your  skirts  and  get  a  move 
on!" 

It  was  a  dark  night,  without  moon,  favourable 
to  the  robber's  plans.  For  a  good  fifteen  minutes 
the  ill-omened  crew  continued  their  retreat  by 
forced  march.  From  time  to  time  Loupart  ques- 
tioned the  "Beard": 

"This  the  way?" 

The  other  nodded  assent:  "Keep  on,  we'll  get 
there." 

At  length  they  descried  the  white  ribbon  of  a 
road  winding  up  the  si^e  of  the  low  hill  and  van- 
ishing in  the  distance  into  a  small  wood. 

"There's  the  track,"  declared  the  Beard. 
107 


io8  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"To  Dijon?" 

"No,  to  Verrez." 

"That's  a  good  thing;  now,  stop  and  listen  to 
me." 

Loupart  sat  down  on  the  grass  and  addressed 
them. 

"It's  been  a  good  stroke,  friends,  but  unfor- 
tunately it's  not  finished  yet.  They  took  pre- 
cautions we  couldn't  foresee.  We  have  only  part 
of  the  fat.  We  share  up  to-morrow  evening." 

He  was  answered  by  growls  of  disappointment. 

"I  said  to-morrow  evening,"  he  repeated. 
"Those  who  aren't  satisfied  with  that  can  stay 
away.  There'll  be  all  the  more  for  the  others. 
Now,  we  must  separate.  Josephine,  you,  the 
Beard  and  I  will  get  back  together.  There's 
work  for  us  in  Paris.  The  others  scatter  and 
take  care  not  to  get  pinched;  be  back  in  the  nest 
by  ten." 

Loupart  motioned  to  the  Beard  and  Jose- 
phine to  follow  him. 

"Show  us  the  way,  Beard." 

"Where  to?" 

"The  telegraph  office." 

"What's  up?" 

"Why,  you  idiot,"  replied  Loupart,  "we've 
been  robbed!  The  wine-dealer's  notes  are  only 
halves!  The  swine  insured  himself  for  nothing." 


FANTOMAS  109 

The  Beard  broke  out  into  recriminations. 

"To  have  a  hundred  and  fifty  notes  in  your 
pocket,  and  they  good  for  nothing!  There  was 
no  such  thing  as  Providence !  It  was  sicken- 
ing." 

"Come,  don't  get  angry,  two  halves  will  make 
a  whole." 

"You  know  where  to  lay  hands  on  the  rest?" 

"Yes,  old  man." 

"That's  our  job  to-morrow  evening?  That's 
why  you're  chasing  to  the  telegraph  office?" 

Loupart  clenched  his  fists. 

"That  and  something  else ;  there's  bigger  game 
afoot." 

"What?" 

"Juve." 

"Oh,  the  devil!"  murmured  the  Beard,  divided 
between  pleasure  and  fear.  "You've  got  the  beg- 
gar?" 

"I  have." 

"Sure?" 

"Sure." 

The  little  group  moved  forward  in  silence. 
At  length  Josephine  began  to  tire. 

"Say,  have  we  much  further  to  go?" 

"No,"  replied  the  Beard.  "Verrez  village  is 
behind  that  hill.  The  main  road  runs  by  the  row 
of  poplars." 


no  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"All  right.  Go  and  wait  there  with  Josephine. 
I'll  catch  you  up  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,"  or- 
dered Loupart.  "I've  a  wire  to  send  off." 

His  acolytes  gone,  Loupart  resumed  his  way. 
As  a  measure  of  precaution,  he  took  off  his 
jacket,  turned  it  inside  out  and  put  it  on  again. 
The  jacket  was  a  trick  one:  the  lining  was  a  dif- 
ferent colour  and  the  pockets  differently  placed. 

On  reaching  Verrez,  Loupart  turned  round. 
From  the  top  of  the  little  hill  he  could  see,  in 
the  distance,  the  reddening  flames. 

"That's  going  all  right,"  thought  the  wretch; 
"the  Simplon  express  has  run  into  the  cars.  There 
must  be  a  fine  mix-up  there." 

Reaching  the  post-office  at  last,  he  seized  a 
blank  and  wrote  on  it  hastily: 

"Juve,  Inspector  of  Safety,  142  Rue  Bona- 
parte, Paris.  All  is  well;  found  gang  complete, 
including  Loupart.  Robbery  committed  but 
failed.  Cannot  give  details.  Be  at  Bercy  Stores 
alone,  but  armed,  to-morrow  at  eleven  at  night, 
near  the  Kessler  House  cellars. 

"Fandor." 

The  clerk  held  out  her  hand  to  take  the  mes- 
sage. The  bandit  was  extremely  polite. 

"Be  so  good  as  to  pay  special  attention  to  this 


FANTOMAS  in 

message.  Read  it  over,  madam.  You  grasp  the 
importance  of  it?  You  see  it  must  be  kept  abso- 
lutely secret.  I  rely  on  you." 

Ten  minutes'  quick  walking  brought  Loupart 
once  more  to  Josephine  and  the  Beard. 

"Hullo !"  he  cried.    "Anything  new  ?" 

"Nothing." 

"Josephine,  go  down  the  hill  and  the  first 
motor  that  passes,  set  to  and  howl;  call  'help' 
and  'murder' ;  got  to  stop  it.  Be  off !  Look 
sharp!" 

Some  minutes  passed.  The  two  men  watched 
Josephine  go  down  the  road  and  hide  in  one  of 
the  ditches. 

"Your  barker  is  ready,  Beard?" 

"Six  plugs,  Loupart." 

"Good!     You  go  to  the  right,  I  to  the  left." 

Loupart  had  scarcely  given  these  orders,  when, 
on  the  horizon,  a  bright  gleam  became  visible, 
growing  larger  every  minute,  while  the  noise  of 
a  motor  broke  the  silence  of  the  open  country. 

Loupart  laughed. 

"Look,  Beard.  Acetylene  lamps,  eh?  That 
car  will  do  our  job  splendidly." 

An  automobile  was  fast  nearing  them.  As  it 
passed  by  Josephine^  she  rushed  into  the  road, 
uttering  piercing  cries. 

"Help!     Murder!     Have  pity!     Stop!" 


ii2  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

With  a  hasty  movement  the  chauffeur,  taken 
aback  by  the  sight  of  a  woman  rising  unexpect- 
edly on  the  lonely  road,  made  a  dash  at  his 
brakes.  Meanwhile  from  the  inside  of  the  car 
a  traveller  leaned  out. 

"What  is  it?     What's  the  matter?" 

As  the  car  was  about  to  stop,  Loupart  and  the 
Beard  rushed  out. 

"You  take  the  passenger!"  cried  the  former; 
"I'll  attend  to  the  chauffeur." 

The  two  brigands  sprang  on  the  footboards. 

"No  tricks,  or  I'll  shoot!  Josephine,  truss 
these  fowls  for  me!"  cried  Loupart. 

Josephine  took  a  roll  of  cord  from  her  lov- 
er's pocket  and  tied  the  two  victims  firmly  while 
Loupart  gagged  them. 

"Now,  Beard,  take  them  into  the  field  and  give 
them  a  rap  on  the  head  to  keep  them  quiet." 

Then  he  got  into  the  car  and  skilfully  turned 
it  round.  When  Josephine  and  the  Beard  were 
on  board,  he  got  under  way  at  full  speed  with  a 
grim  smile. 

"And,  now,  Juve,  it's  between  us  two!" 


XV 

THE    SIMPLON    EXPRESS    DISASTER 

While  Loupart  and  his  mates  were  making  off 
across  country  the  disaster  occurred.  At  a  curve 
in  the  track  the  Simplon  Express  coming  at 
full  speed  charged  the  cars  and  crushed 
them,  then,  lifted  by  the  shock,  the  engine 
reared  backwards  on  its  wheels  and  fell  heavily, 
dragging  down  in  its  fall  a  baggage  car  and 
the  first  two  carriages  coupled  behind  it.  Then 
rose  in  the  night  cries  of  terror  and  the  frantic 
rush  of  the  passengers  who  fled  from  the 
luxurious  train. 

Fandor  picked  himself  up  and  went  forward. 
From  the  tender  of  the  engine  a  cloud  of  steam 
escaped  with  hoarse  whistlings. 

The  driver  held  out  his  two  broken  arms. 

"Give  me  a  hand,  for  God's  sake!  Open  the 
tap !  There,  that  hoisted  bar.  Lift  it  up.  Quick, 
the  boiler  is  going  to  burst." 

113 


ii4  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Fandor  was  still  engaged  in  carrying  out  this 
manoeuvre  when  succour  began  to  arrive. 

The  stoker,  less  seriously  hurt  than  the  driver, 
had  managed  to  drag  himself  clear  of  the  wreck- 
age, which  was  beginning  to  catch  fire.  The  head 
guard,  and  those  passengers  whose  seats  had  been 
at  the  rear  of  the  train,  hurried  up  and  the  com- 
bined effort  at  rescue  began.  They  searched  for 
the  injured  and  put  out  the  incipient  blazes. 

Instinctively  those  who  had  fled  from  the  train 
followed  in  a  frantic  stampede  the  road  at  the 
foot  of  the  embankment,  reached  Verrez  village 
out  of  breath  and  gave  the  alarm. 

The  countryside  was  soon  in  an  uproar.  Lights 
flashed,  torches  and  lamps  of  vehicles  harnessed 
in  haste:  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  disaster 
half  the  neighbourhood  was  afoot  from  all  quar- 
ters. 

"A  bit  of  luck,  sir,"  remarked  the  conductor, 
still  pallid  with  horror,  to  Fandor,  "that  the  col- 
lision happened  at  the  curve  where  our  speed 
was  slackened.  Ten  minutes  sooner  and  all  the 
carriages  would  have  been  telescoped." 

"Yes,  it  was  luck,"  replied  the  journalist,  as  he 
wiped  his  face,  covered  with  soot  and  coal  dust. 
"The  two  carriages  telescoped  were  almost 
empty." 

From  a  neighbouring  way-station  the  railway 


FANTOMAS  115 

officials  had  telephoned  news  of  the  accident. 
The  section  of  line  was  kept  clear  by  telegraph. 
Word  came  that  a  relief  train  was  being  made 
up,  and  would  arrive  in  an  hour. 

Fandor  had  quickly  regained  his  coolness,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  to  lend  a  hand  in  the  rescue, 
turning  over  the  wreckage  and  setting  free  the 
injured. 

As  he  passed  along  the  track,  he  was  attracted 
by  the  appeals  of  a  stout  man,  who  hurried 
toward  him,  wailing : 

'Sir!     Sir!     What  a  terrible  calamity!" 

Fandor  recognised  his  fellow-passenger,  Jo- 
sephine's lover. 

"Yes,  and  we  had  a  lucky  escape.  But  what 
has  become  of  your  wife?" 

In  using  the  word  "wife"  Fandor  was  under 
no  illusion;  he  merely  wanted  to  interview  the 
other. 

"My  wife?  Ah,  sir,  that's  the  terrible  part  of 
it.  She's  not  my  wife — she's  a  little  friend,  and 
now  it's  all  bound  to  come  out.  My  lawful  wife 
will  hear  everything.  As  for  the  girl,  I  don't 
know  what  has  become  of  her." 

"She  knew  that  you  were  carrying  money?" 

"Yes,  sir.  I  am  an  agent  for  wines  at  Bercy, 
and  I  was  going  to  pay  over  dividends  to  stock- 
holders, one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  francs. 


n6  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

I  recognised  one  of  my  men  among  the  robbers, 
a  cooper.  He  knew  that  every  month  I  travel, 
carrying  large  sums  of  money.  I  am  quite  sure 
this  robbery  was  planned  beforehand." 

"And  who  are  you,  sir?" 

"M.  Martialle,  of  Kessler  &  Barries.  Fortu- 
nately the  money  is  not  lost." 

"Not  lost!  You  know  where  to  find  the  rob- 
bers?" 

"That  I  do  not,  but  they  have  only  the  halves 
of  the  notes.  These  are  worth  nothing  to  them 
unless  they  can  lay  their  hands  on  the  correspond- 
ing halves.  It's  a  way  of  cheap  insurance." 

"And  where  are  the  other  halves  of  the  notes?" 

"Oh,  in  a  safe  place,  in  the  office  of  the  firm  at 
Bercy." 

Fandor  abruptly  left  M.  Martialle  and  ap- 
proached an  official. 

"When  will  the  line  be  cleared?" 

"In  an  hour's  time,  sire." 

"There'll  be  no  train  for  Paris  till  then?" 

"No,  sir." 

Fandor  moved  off  along  the  track. 

"That's  all  right,  I  can  make  it.  I'll  have  time 
to  send  a  wire  to  The  Capital" 

The  journalist  sat  down  on  the  grass,  took 
out  his  writing-pad  and  began  his  article.  But  he 
had  overrated  his  strength.  He  was  worn  out, 


FANTOMAS  117 

body  and  soul.  He  had  not  been  writing  ten 
minutes  when  he  dropped  into  a  doze,  the  pencil 
slipped  from  his  fingers  and  he  was  fast  asleep. 

When  Fandor  opened  his  eyes,  the  twilight 
was  beginning  to  come  down.  It  was  between 
five  and  six  o'clock. 

"What  a  fool  I've  been!  I've  made  a  mess 
of  the  whole  business  now,"  he  cried  as  he  ran 
frantically  to  the  nearest  station. 

"How  soon  the  first  train  to  Paris?" 

"In  two  minutes,  sir:  it  is  signalled." 

"When  does  it  arrive?" 

"At  ten  o'clock." 

Fandor  threw  up  his  hands. 

"I  shall  be  too  late.  I  haven't  time  to  wire 
Juve  and  warn  him.  Oh!  what  an  idiot  I  was 
to  sleep  like  that!" 


XVI 

A    DRAMA    AT    THE    BERCY    WAREHOUSE 

Juve  passed  the  whole  day  at  the  Cite  Frochot. 
Despite  the  precautions  taken  to  keep  the  failure 
two  days  back  a  secret,  the  papers  had  got  wind 
of  the  drama:  The  Capital  itself  had  spoken  of 
it,  though  without  naming  his  fellow-worker. 
The  staff  of  that  paper  was  unaware  that  Fan- 
dor  was  the  other  man  who  had  so  marvellously 
escaped  from  the  sewer.  Blood-curdling  tales 
were  told  about  Doctor  Chaleck,  Juve,  Loupart, 
the  house  of  the  crime,  the  affair  at  the  hospital; 
but  to  anyone  familiar  with  the  actual  happen- 
ings, the  newspaper  accounts  were  very  far  from 
giving  the  truth. 

And  Juve,  far  from  contradicting  these  misstate- 
ments,  took  a  delight  in  spreading  them  broadcast. 

It  is  sometimes  useful  to  set  astray  the  pow- 
erful voice  of  the  Press  so  as  to  give  a  false 
security  to  the  real  culprits. 


FANTOMAS  119 

However,  when  masons,  electricians  and  zinc- 
workers  were  seen  to  take  possession  of  Doctor 
Chaleck's  house  and  begin  to  turn  it  upside  down, 
a  crowd  quickly  assembled  to  witness  the  per- 
formance. 

It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  Juve,  who  did 
not  want  too  many  witnesses  round  the  place,  or- 
ganised arrangements  of  a  vigorous  character. 

Installed  in  the  drawing-room  on  the  ground 
floor,  he  first  had  a  long  interview  with  the  owner 
of  the  house,  M.  Nathan,  the  well-known  dia- 
mond broker  of  the  Rue  de  Provence.  The  poor 
man  was  in  despair  to  think  his  property  had 
been  the  scene  of  the  extraordinary  events  which 
were  on  everybody's  tongue.  All  he  knew  of 
Doctor  Chaleck  was  that  that  gentleman  had  been 
his  tenant  just  four  years,  and  had  always  paid 
his  rent  regularly. 

"You  didn't  suspect,"  asked  Juve  in  conclusion, 
"the  ingenious  contrivance  of  that  electric  lift  in 
which  the  doctor  placed  a  study  identically  simi- 
lar to  the  real  one?" 

"Certainly  not,  sir,"  replied  the  worthy  man. 
"Eighteen  months  ago  my  tenant  asked  permis- 
sion to  repair  the  house  at  his  own  expense;  as 
you  may  suppose,  I  granted  his  request  at  once. 
It  must  have  been  at 'that  time  that  the  queer 
contrivance  was  built.  Have  I  your  permission 


120  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

to  go  down  to  the  cellars  and  ascertain  their  con- 
dition?" 

"Not  before  to-morrow,  sir,  when  I  shall  have 
finished  my  inspection,"  replied  Juve,  as  he  saw 
M.  Nathan  out. 

The  inspector  was  assisted  in  his  investigation 
by  detectives  Michel  and  Dupation.  They  inter- 
viewed the  old  couple  in  charge  of  the  Cite  and 
various  neighbours  of  Doctor  Chaleck,  but  with- 
out lighting  upon  a  clue.  Nobody  had  seen  or 
heard  anything  whatever. 

Toward  noon  he  and  Michel,  who  did  not 
wish  to  leave  the  house,  decided  to  have  a  modest 
repast  brought  to  them.  M.  Dupation,  a  fidgety 
official,  took  this  chance  of  getting  away. 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  he  declared,  "you  are 
much  more  up  to  this  business  than  I,  and  be- 
sides my  wife  expects  me  to  luncheon.  You  don't 
need  any  further  help  from  me?" 

Juve  reassured  the  worthy  superintendent  and 
gave  him  permission  to  go.  He  was  only  too 
glad  to  find  himself  alone  with  his  lieutenant. 
The  workmen  who  were  repairing  the  caved-in 
basement  of  the  little  house  were  already  gone, 
and  there  was  no  chance  of  their  being  back  be- 
fore two  o'clock.  Thus  Juve  found  himself  alone 
with  Michel. 

"What  I  can't  understand,  sir,"  said  Michel, 


FANTOMAS  12! 

"is  the  telephone  call  we  got  toward  morning 
from  here  asking  for  help  at  the  office  in  the  Rue 
Rochefoucauld.  Either  the  victim  herself  'phoned, 
and  in  that  case  she  did  not  die,  as  we  think,  in 
the  early  part  of  the  night,  or  it  was  not  she,  and 
then " 

Juve  smiled. 

"You  are  right  in  putting  the  problem  that 
way,  but  to  my  mind  it  is  easy  to  solve.  The 
call  was  not  given  by  the  murdered  woman  for, 
remember,  when  we  raised  the  body  at  half-past 
six  it  was  already  cold.  Now  the  call  was  not 
given  till  six,  when  the  woman  had  been  dead 
some  little  time.  That  I  am  sure  of,  and  you  will 
see  the  report  of  the  medical  expert  will  uphold 
me." 

"Then  it  was  a  third  person  who  gave  it?" 

"Yes,  and  one  who  sought  to  have  the  crime 
discovered  as  soon  as  possible,  and  who  reckoned 
on  the  officers  coming  from  the  Central  Station, 
but  did  not  expect  Fandor  or  me  to  come  back." 

"Then  according  to  you,  sir,  the  murderer 
knew  of  your  presence  behind  the  curtain  in  the 
study  while  the  crime  was  being  committed." 

"I  can't  tell  about  the  murderer,  but  Doctor 
Chaleck  certainly  knew'  we  were  there.  That  man 
must  have  watched  us  all  night,  known  the  exact 
instant  we  left  the  house,  and  immediately  after- 


122  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

wards  got  some  one  to  telephone  or  must  have 
done  so  himself." 

Michel,  becoming  more  and  more  convinced  by 
Juve's  reasoning,  went  on: 

"At  any  rate,  the  existence  of  two  studies,  in 
all  respects  similar,  goes  to  show  a  carefully  pre- 
meditated plan,  but  there  is  something  I  can't  ac- 
count for.  When  you  came  back  to  the  study 
where  we  found  the  dead  woman,  you  found 
traces  of  mud  by  the  window  brought  in  by  your 
shoes.  You  must  therefore  have  been  watching 
through  the  night  the  room  where  the  crime  was 
committed." 

Juve  was  about  to  put  in  a  word,  but  Michel, 
launched  on  his  train  of  argument,  continued: 

"Allow  me,  sir;  you  are  going,  no  doubt,  to 
tell  me  that  they  might  during  your  short  ab- 
sence have  carried  the  body  of  the  victim  into  the 
study  in  question,  but  I  would  point  out  to  you, 
that  on  the  loosened  hair  of  the  poor  creature 
blood  had  caked,  that  some  was  on  the  carpet 
and  had  even  gone  through  it  to  the  flooring  be- 
neath. Now  if  they  carried  in  the  body  just  a 
little  while  before  we  discovered  it,  that  would 
not  have  been  the  case." 

Michel  was  delighted  with  his  own  argument. 
Juve  smiled  indulgently. 

"My  poor  Michel,"  he  cried,  "you  would  be 


FANTOMAS  123 

quite  right  if  I  put  forward  such  an  explanation. 
It  is  certain  that  the  room  in  which  we  found  the 
body  was  that  in  which  the  crime  took  place.  It 
is  therefore  that  in  which  we  were  not!  As  for 
the  marks  of  mud  near  the  window,  they  are 
ours,  but  transferred  from  the  room  in  which  we 
were  into  the  room  in  which  we  were  not! 
Which  again  proves  that  our  presence  was  known 
to  the  culprits. 

"Furthermore,  the  candle  with  which  Doctor 
Chaleck  melted  the  wax  to  seal  his  letters  was 
scarcely  used,  it  only  burned  in  fact  a  few  minutes. 
Now  we  found  another  candle  in  the  same  state. 
So  you  see  that  the  precautions  were  well  taken 
and  everything  possible  done  to  lead  us  astray. 

"We  see  the  puppets  moving — Loupart,  Cha- 
leck, Josephine,  others  maybe,  but  we  do  not  see 
the  strings." 

"The  strings  which  move  them  perhaps  may  be 
no  other  than — Fantomas,"  ventured  Michel. 

Juve  frowned  and  suddenly  fell  silent.  Then 
abruptly  changing  the  conversation,  he  asked  his 
lieutenant: 

"You  told  me,  did  you  not,  that  you  could  no 
longer  appear  in  the  character  of  the  Sapper?" 

"Quite  true,  Inspector,  I  was  spotted  just  the 
day  before  the  crime  by  Loupart,  and  so  was  my 
colleague,  Nonet." 


i24  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"Talking  of  that,"  answered  Juve,  "Nonet 
mentioned  vaguely  something  about  an  affair  at 
the  docks,  supposed  to  have  been  planned  by  the 
Beard  and  an  individual  known  as  the  Cooper. 
Are  you  fully  informed?" 

"Unfortunately  no,  Inspector.  I  know  no 
more  about  the  matter  than  you  do." 

"And  what  is  Nonet  about  now?" 

"He  has  left  for  Chartres." 

Juve  shrugged  his  shoulders.  He  was  an- 
noyed. Perhaps  if  Leon,  nicknamed  Nonet,  had 
not  been  transferred  he  would  by  now  have  ob- 
tained pertinent  clues  to  the  dock's  affair. 

After  having  enjoined  Michel  to  devise  a  new 
disguise  which  allowed  him  to  mix  once  more 
with  the  Band  of  Cyphers  and  going  back  to 
"The  Good  Comrades,"  Juve  went  down  to  the 
basement  to  supervise  the  workmen,  who  were 
now  back;  while  Michel  busied  himself  with  the 
inventory  of  the  papers  found  in  Doctor  Cha- 
leck's  study. 

On  leaving  the  house  toward  half-past  seven 
in  the  evening  Juve  went  slowly  down  to  the  Rue 
des  Martyrs,  pondering  over  the  occurrences 
which  for  several  days  had  succeeded  each  other 
with  such  startling  rapidity. 

As  he  reached  the  boulevards  the  bawling  of 


FANTOMAS  125 

newsboys  attracted  his  attention.  An  ominous 
headline  was  displayed  in  the  papers  the  crowd 
was  struggling  for. 

"ANOTHER  RAILROAD  ACCIDENT. 
THE  SIMPLON  EXPRESS  TELESCOPES 
THE  MARSEILLES  LIMITED.  MANY 
VICTIMS." 

Juve  anxiously  bought  a  paper  and  scanned  the 
list  of  the  injured,  fearful  that  Fandor  would  be 
found  among  the  number.  But  as  he  read  the 
details  and  learned  that  those  in  the  detached 
carriage  had  escaped,  he  felt  somewhat  re- 
lieved. Hailing  a  taxi  he  drove  off  rapidly  to 
the  Prefecture  in  search  of  more  precise  infor- 
mation. 

"A  message  for  you,  M.  Juve." 

The  detective,  hurrying  home,  was  passing  the 
porter's  lodge.  He  pulled  up  short. 

"Forme?" 

"Yes — it's  certainly  your  name  on  the  tele- 
gram." 

Juve  took  the  blue  envelope  with  distrust  and 
uneasiness.  He  had  given  his  home  address  to 
no  one.  He  glanced  over  the  message,  and  gave 
a  sigh  of  relief. 

"The  dear  fellow,"  he  muttered  as  he  went 


126  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

upstairs.     "He's  had  a  narrow  escape;  however, 
all's  well  than  ends  well." 

After  a  hurried  toilet  and  a  bite  of  dinner, 
Juve  set  off  again,  jumped  into  a  train  for  the 
Boulevard  St.  Germain  and  got  down  at  the  Jar- 
din  des  Plantes.  Then,  sauntering  casually  along, 
he  made  for  Bercy  by  the  docks,  which  were  cov- 
ered as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  with  rows  and 
rows  of  barrels. 

About  two  hours  later,  Juve,  who  had  been 
wandering  about  the  vast  labyrinth  of  wine-docks, 
began  to  grow  impatient. 

It  was  already  fifty  minutes  past  the  appointed 
hour,  and  the  detective  began  to  feel  uneasy. 
Why  was  Fandor  so  late?  Something  must 
surely  have  happened  to  him!  And  then  what 
a  queer  idea  to  choose  such  a  meeting  place! 

Suddenly,  Juve  started.  He  recalled  his  talk 
that  afternoon  with  Michel;  the  reference  made 
to  the  affair  of  the  docks  in  which  the  Beard  and 
the  Cooper  were  implicated.  What  if  he  had 
been  drawn  into  a  trap ! 

The  detective's  reflections  were  suddenly  cut 
short  by  unusual  and  alarming  sounds. 

He  fancied  he  heard  the  shrill  blast  of  a  whis- 
tle, followed  by  the  rush  of  footsteps  and  a  col- 
lision of  empty  barrels. 


FANTOMAS  127 

Juve  held  his  breath  and  crouched  down  under 
the  shed  in  which  he  stood;  he  thought  he  saw 
the  outline  of  a  shadow  passing  slowly  in  the  dis- 
tance. Juve  was  stealthily  following  in  its  tracks 
when  he  caught  a  significant  click. 

"Two  can  play  at  that,"  he  growled  between 
his  teeth,  as  he  cocked  his  revolver.  The  shadow 
disappeared,  but  the  footsteps  went  on. 

Disguising  his  voice  he  called  out:  "Who  goes 
there?" 

A  sharp  summons  answered  him,  "Halt!" 

Juve  was  about  to  call  upon  his  mysterious 
neighbour  to  do  likewise,  when  a  report  rang  out, 
at  once  followed  by  another.  Juve  saw  where  the 
shots  came  from.  His  assailant  was  scarcely  fif- 
teen paces  from  him,  but  luckily  the  shots  had  gone 
wide. 

"Use  up  your  cartridges,  my  friend,"  muttered 
Juve;  "when  your  get  to  number  six,  it  will  be 
my  turn." 

The  sixth  shot  rang  out.  This  was  the  signal 
for  Juve  to  spring  forward.  Leaping  over  the 
barrels,  he  made  for  the  shadow  which  he  espied 
at  intervals.  All  at  once  he  gave  a  cry  of  tri- 
umph. He  was  face  to  face  with  a  man. 

His  cry,  however/changed  into  amazement. 

"You,  Fandor?" 

"Juve!" 


128  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"You've  begun  shooting  at  me,  now,  have 
you?" 

For  answer,  the  journalist  held  out  his  revol- 
ver, which  was  fully  loaded. 

"But  what  are  you  doing  here,  Juve?"  he  asked. 

"You  wired  to  me  to  come." 

"That  I  never  did." 

Juve  drew  the  telegram  from  his  pocket  and 
held  it  out  to  Fandor,  but  as  the  two  men  drew 
close  together,  they  were  startled  by  a  lightning 
flash,  and  a  report.  A  bullet  whistled  past  their 
ears.  Instinctively  they  lay  flat  between  two  bar- 
rels, holding  their  breaths. 

Juve  whispered  instructions:  "When  I  give 
the  signal,  fire  at  anything  you  see  or  toward 
the  direction  of  the  next  report. 

The  two  men  slowly  and  noiselessly  raised  their 
heads. 

"Ah,"  cried  Juve. 

And  he  fired  at  the  rapidly  fleeing  figure. 

"Did  you  see?"  whispered  Fandor,  clutching 
Juve's  arm.  "It's  Chaleck." 

Juve  was  about  to  leap  up  and  start  in  pur- 
suit when  a  series  of  dull  thuds,  the  overturning 
of  barrels,  stifled  oaths  and  cracking  planks  smote 
his  ear.  These  noises  were  followed  by  the  meas- 
ured footfall  of  a  body  of  men  drawing  near, 
words  of  command  and  shrill  whistles. 


FANTOMAS  129 

"What's  all  that  now?"  questioned  Fandor. 

"The  best  thing  that  could  happen  for  us," 
replied  Juve.  "The  police  are  coming.  These 
quays  are  a  refuge  for  all  kinds  of  tramps  and 
crooks  who  from  time  to  time  are  rounded  up. 
We  are  probably  going  to  see  a  'drive.'  ' 

Juve  had  scarcely  finished  speaking  when  sev- 
eral shots  rang  out;  these  were  followed  by  a 
general  uproar  and  then  a  great  blue  flame  sud- 
denly rose,  died  away  and  flared  up  again.  A 
thick  smoke  permeated  the  atmosphere. 

"Fire,"  exclaimed  Fandor. 

"The  kegs  of  alcohol  are  alight,"  added  Juve. 

The  two  had  now  to  think  of  their  own  safety. 
Evidently  bandits  had  been  tracking  them  for 
more  than  an  hour,  guided  by  Doctor  Chaleck. 

But  they  soon  found  that  their  retreat  was  cut 
off  by  a  ring  of  flames. 

"Let  us  head  for  the  Seine,"  suggested  Fandor, 
who  had  discovered  a  break  in  the  ring  of  fire  at 
that  point.  A  fresh  explosion  now  took  place. 
From  a  burst  cask  a  spurt  of  liquid  fire  shot  up, 
closing  the  circle.  It  had  become  impossible  to 
pass  through  in  any  direction. 

They  heard  the  cries  of  the  rabble,  the  whis- 
tles of  the  officers.  In  the  distance  the  horns  of 
the  fire  engines  moaned  dolefully.  The  heat  was 
growing  unbearable,  and  the  ring  enclosing  Fan- 


1 30  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

dor  and  Juve  narrowed  more  and  more.  Sud- 
denly Juve  pointed  to  an  enormous  empty  pun- 
cheon that  had  just  rolled  beside  them. 

"Have  you  ever  looped  the  loop?"  he  asked. 
"Hurry  up  now;  in  you  go;  we'll  let  it  roll  down 
the  slope  of  the  quay  into  the  river." 

In  a  few  moments  the  cask  was  rolling  at  top 
speed.  Juve  and  Fandor  guessed  by  the  crackling 
of  the  outer  planks  and  by  a  sudden  rise  in  the 
temperature  that  they  were  passing  through  the 
fire.  All  at  once  the  great  vat  reached  the  level 
of  the  river.  It  plunged  into  the  waves  with  a 
dull  thud. 


XVII 

ON  THE  SLABS  OF  THE  MORGUE 

As  he  turned  at  the  far  side  of  the  Pont  St. 
Louis,  Doctor  Ardel,  the  celebrated  medical  jurist, 
caught  sight  of  M.  Fuselier,  the  magistrate,  chat- 
ting with  Inspector  Juve  in  front  of  the  Morgue. 

"I  am  behind-hand,  gentlemen.  So  sorry  to 
have  made  you  wait." 

M.  Fuselier  and  Juve  crossed  the  tiny  court 
and  entered  the  semi-circular  lecture-room,  where 
daily  lessons  in  medical  jurisprudence  are  given  to 
the  students  and  the  head  men  of  the  detective 
police  force. 

Doctor  Ardel,  piloting  his  guests,  did  the  hon- 
ours. 

"The  place  is  not  exactly  gay;  in  fact,  it  has 
an  ill  reputation;  but  anyhow,  gentlemen,  it  is  at 
your  disposition.  M,  Fuselier,  you  will  be  able 
to  investigate  in  peace :  M.  Juve,  you  will  be  at  lib- 
erty to  put  any  questions  you  choose  to  your  client." 

131 


132 

The  doctor  spoke  in  a  loud  voice,  emphasising 
each  word  with  a  jolly  laugh,  good  natured,  de- 
void of  malice,  yet  making  an  unpleasant  impres- 
sion on  his  two  visitors  less  at  home  than  he  in 
the  gruesome  abode  they  had  just  entered. 

"You  will  excuse  me,"  he  went  on,  "if  I  leave 
you  for  a  couple  of  minutes  to  put  on  an  overall 
and  my  rubber  gloves?" 

The  doctor  gone,  the  two  instinctively  felt  a 
vague  need  to  talk  to  counteract  the  doleful  at- 
mosphere the  Morgue  seemed  to  exhale,  where 
so  many  unclaimed  corpses,  so  much  human  flot- 
sam, had  come  to  sleep  under  the  inquiring  eyes 
of  the  crowd,  before  being  given  to  the  common 
ditch,  being  no  more  than  an  entry  in  a  register 
and  a  date:  "Body  found  so  and  so,  buried  so 
and  so." 

"Tell  me,  my  dear  Juve,"  asked  M.  Fuselier. 
"This  morning  directly  I  got  your  message  I  at 
once  acceded  to  your  wish  and  asked  Ardel  to 
have  us  both  here  this  afternoon,  but  I  hardly 
understand  your  object.  What  have  you  come 
here  for?"  ' 

Juve,  with  both  hands  in  his  pockets,  was  walk- 
ing up  and  down  before  the  dissecting  table.  At 
the  Magistrate's  question  he  stopped  short,  and, 
turning  to  M.  Fuselier,  replied: 

"Why  have  I  come  here?     I  scarcely  know 


FANTOMAS  133 

myself.  It's  everything  or  nothing.  The  key  to 
the  puzzle.  I  tell  you,  M.  Fuselier,  things  are 
becoming  increasingly  tragic  and  baffling." 

"How's  that?" 

"The  part  played  by  Josephine  is  less  and  less 
clear.  She  is  Loupart's  mistress;  she  informs 
against  him,  is  fired  at  by  him,  then,  according  to 
Fandor,  becomes  in  some  manner  his  accomplice 
in  a  robbery  so  daring  that  you  must  search  the 
annals  of  American  criminality  to  find  its  like." 

"You  refer  to  the  train  affair?" 

"Yes.  Now,  leaving  Josephine  on  one  side,  we 
are  confronted  with  two  enigmas.  Doctor  Cha- 
leck,  a  man  of  the  world,  a  scholar,  crops  up  as 
leader  of  a  band  of  criminals.  What  we  know 
for  certain  about  him  is  that  he  fired  at  Josephine, 
that  he  was  concerned  in  the  affair  of  the  docks — 
no  more.  There  remains  Loupart;  and  about 
him  being  the  real  culprit  we  know  nothing. 
There  is  no  proof  that  he  killed  the  woman.  In 
order  to  prove  that  we  should  have  to  know  who 
that  woman  is  and  why  she  was  killed,  and  also 
how.  The  how  and  why  of  the  crime  alone 
might  chance  to  give  us  the  answer." 

"What  trail  are  you  following?" 

"That  of  the  dead  woman.  The  body  we  are 
about  to  examine  will  determine  me  in  which 
quarter  to  direct  my  search." 


i34  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

M.  Fuselier,  looking  at  the  detective  with  a 
penetrating  eye,  asked: 

"You  surely  haven't  the  notion  of  suspecting 
Fantomas?" 

"You  are  right,  M.  Fuselier,"  he  replied. 
"Behind  Loupart,  behind  Chaleck,  everywhere 
and  always  it  is  Fantomas  I  am  looking  for." 

Whatever  information  the  detective  was  about 
to  impart  to  the  magistrate  was  cut  short  by  the 
return  of  Doctor  Ardel.  That  gentleman,  in 
donning  the  uniform  of  the  expert,  had  resumed 
an  appearance  of  professional  gravity. 

"We  are  going  to  work  now,  gentlemen,"  he 
announced.  "I  need  not  remind  you,  of  course, 
that  the  body  you  are  about  to  see,  that  of  the 
woman  found  in  the  Cite  Frochot,  has  already 
undergone  certain  changes  due  to  decomposition, 
which  have  modified  its  aspect." 

So  saying,  Dr.  Ardel  pressed  a  button  and  gave 
an  attendant  the  necessary  order.  "Be  so  good 
as  to  bring  the  body  from  room  No.  6." 

Some  minutes  later  a  folding  door  in  the  wall 
opened  and  two  men  pushed  a  truck  into  the  mid- 
dle of  the  hall  upon  which  lay  the  corpse  of  the 
unknown. 

"I  now  give  over  the  dead  woman  to  you  to 
identify,"  declared  Doctor  Ardel.  "My  exami- 
nation has  been  carried  out  and  my  part  as 


FANTOMAS  135 

expert  is  over — I  am  ready  to  hand  in 
my  report." 

Fuselier  and  Juve  bent  long  over  the  slab  upon 
which  the  body  had  been  placed. 

"Alas!"  cried  Juve,  "how  recognise  anything 
in  this  countenance  destroyed  by  pitch?  What 
discover  in  these  crushed  limbs,  this  human  form, 
which  is  now  a  shapeless  mass?"  And,  turning 
to  Dr.  Ardel,  he  questioned: 

"Professor,  what  did  you  learn  from  your  au- 
topsy?" 

"Nothing,  or  very  little,"  replied  the  doctor. 
"Death  was  not  due  to  one  blow  more  than  an- 
other. A  general  effusion  of  blood  took  place 
everywhere  at  once." 

"Everywhere  at  once?  What  do  you  mean 
by  that?"  questioned  Juve. 

"Gentlemen,  that  is  the  exact  truth.  In  dis- 
secting this  body  I  was  surprised  to  find  all  the 
blood  vessels  burst,  the  heart,  the  veins,  the  arter- 
ies, even  the  lung  cells.  More  than  this,  the  very 
bones  are  broken,  splintered  into  a  vast  number 
of  little  pieces.  Lastly,  both  on  the  limbs  and 
over  the  whole  body  I  find  a  general  ecchymosis, 
reaching  from  the  top  of  the  neck  to  the  lower, 
extremities." 

"But,"  objected  Juye,  who  feared  the  profes- 
sor might  linger  over  technical  details  too  com- 


136  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

plex  for  him,  "what  general  notion  does  this 
suggest  to  you  as  to  the  cause  of  death?" 

"A  strange  idea,  M.  Juve,  and  one  it  is  not 
easy  for  me  to  define.  You  might  say  that  the 
body  of  this  woman  had  passed  under  the  grind- 
ers of  a  roller  I  The  body  is  'rolled,'  that  is  just 
the  word,  crushed  all  over,  and  there  is  no  point 
where  the  pressure  might  be  conjectured  to  have 
been  greatest." 

M.  Fuselier  looked  at  Juve. 

"What  can  we  deduce  from  that?"  he  asked. 

"Professor  Ardel  demonstrates  scientifically  the 
same  doubts  to  which  a  rough  inspection  led 
me.  How  did  the  murderer  go  to  work?  It  be- 
comes more  and  more  of  a  mystery." 

"It  is  so  much  so,"  declared  Professor  Ardel, 
"that  even  by  postulating  the  worst  complications 
I  really  cannot  conceive  of  any  machine  capable 
of  thus  crushing  a  human  being." 

"I  do  not  believe,"  declared  the  magistrate, 
"that  we  have  any  more  to  see  here.  It  is  plain, 
Juve,  that  this  corpse  cannot  furnish  any  clues  to 
you  and  me  for  the  inquest." 

"The  corpse,  no,"  cried  Juve,  "but  there  is 
something  else." 

Then,  turning  to  the  professor,  he  asked: 

"Could  you  have  brought  to  us  the  clothes  this 
woman  wore?" 


FANTOMAS  137 

"Quite  easily." 

From  a  bag  that  an  attendant  handed  him 
Juve  drew  out  the  garments  of  the  dead  woman. 
The  shoes  were  by  a  good  maker,  the  silk  stock- 
ings with  open-work  embroidery,  the  chemise 
and  the  drawers  were  of  fine  linen  and  the  corset 
was  well  cut. 

"Nothing,"  he  cried,  "not  a  mark  on  this  linen 
nor  even  the  name  of  the  shop  where  it  was 
bought." 

He  examined  her  petticoat,  her  bodice,  a  sort 
of  elegant  blouse,  trimmed  with  lace,  and  the  vel- 
vet collar  which  had  several  spots  of  blood  upon 
it.  He  then  drew  a  small  penknife  from  his 
pocket  and,  kneeling  on  the  floor,  proceeded  to 
probe  the  seams.  Suddenly  he  uttered  a  muffled 
exclamation : 

"Ah!  What's  this?"  From  the  lining  of  the 
bodice  he  drew  out  a  thin  roll  of  paper,  crum- 
pled, stained  with  blood,  torn  unfortunately. 

"Goodness  of  God  in  whom  I  trust — I  do  not  wish  to 
die  with  this  remorse — I  do  not  wish  to  risk  his  killing 
me  to  destroy  this  secret — I  write  this  confession,  I  will 
tell  him  it  is  deposited  in  a  safe  place — yes,  I  was  the 
cause  of  the  death  of  that  hapless  actor !  Yes,  Valgrand 
paid  for  the  crime  which  Gurn  committed.  .  .  .  Yes,  I 
sent  Valgrand  to  the  scaffold  by  making  him  pass  for 


138  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

Gurn — Gurn  who  killed  Lord  Beltham,  Gurn,  who  I 
sometimes  think  must  be  Fantomas!" 

Juve  read  these  lines  in  an  agitated  voice,  and 
as  he  came  to  the  signature  he  turned  pale  and  was 
obliged  to  stop. 

"What  is  the  matter?" 

"It  is  signed — 'Lady  Beltham.'  " 

In  order  that  Doctor  Ardel,  understanding  noth- 
ing of  Juve's  agitation,  might  grasp  that  import 
of  the  paper  just  discovered  he  would  have  had  to 
call  to  mind  the  appalling  tragedy  which  three 
years  before  had  stirred  the  whole  world  with  its 
bloody  vicissitude  and  mystery,  one  not  solved  to 
that  hour. 

"Lady  Beltham!" 

At  that  name  Juve  called  up  the  whole  blood- 
curdling past  I  He  saw  in  fancy  the  English  lady  * 
whose  husband  was  murdered  by  the  Canadian 
Gurn,  who  perhaps  was  her  lover. 

And  Juve,  following  his  train  of  thought,  pon- 
dered that  he  had  accused  this  same  lady  of  hav- 
ing, to  save  her  lover,  the  very  day  the  guillotine 
was  erected  on  the  boulevard,  found  means  to 
send  in  his  stead  the  innocent  actor,  Valgrand. 

And  here  in  connection  with  this  affair  of  the 
Cite  Frochot  he  found  Lady  Beltham  involved  in 

*See  "Fantomas." 


FANTOMAS  139 

the  puzzle  of  which  he  was  so  keenly  seeking  the 
key. 

Juve  again  read  the  momentous  paper  he  had 
just  unearthed. 

"By  Jove,  it  was  plain,"  ran  his  thought,  "the 
lady,  criminal  though  she  might  be,  was  first  and 
foremost  Fantomas'  passionate  inamorata.  And 
this  paper  he  held  in  his  hands  was  the  tail  end 
of  her  confession — the  remains  of  a  document  in 
which  in  a  fit  of  moral  distress  she  had  avowed 
her  remorse  and  made  known  the  truth." 

And  taking  line  by  line  the  cryptic  statement, 
Juve  asked  himself  further: 

"What  do  these  phrases  signify?  How  ex- 
tract the  whole  truth  from  these  few  words?  'I 
do  not  want  him  to  kill  me  in  order  to  destroy 
that  secret'!"  When  Lady  Beltham  wrote  that 
she  was  angry  with  Gurn.  Then  again  what  did 
this  other  doubtful  expression  mean? — 'Gurn 
who  I  sometimes  fancy  may  be  Fantomas.'  She 
did  not  know  then  the  precise  identity  of  her 
lover!  Oh,  the  wretch!  To  what  depths  had 
she  sunk?" 

Then  as  he  put  this  query  to  himself,  Juve 
shook  from  head  to  foot.  Like  a  thunderclap  he 
thought  he  grasped  the  truth  he  had  followed  so 
eagerly.  What  had  'become  of  Lady  Beltham? 
Must  he  not  come  to  the  conclusion  that  this 


I4o  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

woman  whose  face  had  been  crushed  out  of  all 
recognition  by  the  murderer  was  none  other  than 
the  lady?  How  else  explain  the  discovery  in  her 
bodice  of  the  betraying  document?  Who  but  she 
could  have  had  it  in  her  possession?  Who  else 
could  have  so  sedulously  concealed  it? 

Juve  read  over  another  clause :  "I  will  tell  him 
it  is  deposited  in  a  safe  place." 

Feverishly  Juve  took  up  the  garments  trailing 
on  the  ground,  carefully  explored  the  fabric,  made 
a  minute  search. 

"It  is  impossible,"  he  thought,  "that  I  should 
not  find  another  document.  The  beginning  of  this 
confession — I  must  have  it!" 

All  at  once  he  stopped  short  in  his  search. 
"Curse  it  all !"  And  he  pointed  out  to  M.  Fuse- 
lier,  disguised  in  the  lining  of  a  loose  pocket  in 
the  petticoat — a  fresh  hiding  place,  but  torn  and 
alas!  empty. 

"This  woman  had  split  up  her  confession  into 
several  portions.  And  if  she  was  killed  it  was 
certainly  to  strip  her  of  these  compromising  pa- 
pers. Well,  the  murderer  had  attained  his  object 

"Look,  Fuselier,  this  empty  'cache'  is  the  proof 
of  what  I  put  forward,  and  chance  alone  allowed 
the  page  concealed  in  the  collar  of  this  bodice  to 
fall  into  my  hands." 

Long  did  the  detective  still  grope  and  ponder, 


FANTOMAS  141 

heedless  of  the  questions  the  professor  and  the 
magistrate  kept  asking  him.  He  rose  at  last, 
and  with  a  distracted  gesture  took  the  arm  of  M. 
Fuselier,  and  dragged  him  before  the  stone  slab 
on  which  the  corpse,  but  recently  unknown,  smiled 
a  ghastly  smile. 

"M.  Fuselier,  the  dead  woman  has  spoken. 
She  is  Lady  Beltham.  This  is  the  body  of  Lady 
Beltham!" 

The  magistrate  recoiled  in  horror.  He  mur- 
mured: 

"But  who  then  can  Doctor  Chaleck  be?  Who 
can  Loupart  be?" 

Juve  replied  without  hesitation. 

"Ask  Fantomas  the  names  of  his  accomplices!" 

And  leaving  him  and  Doctor  Ardel  without 
any  farewell  Juve  rushed  from  the  Morgue,  his 
features  so  distorted  that  as  they  passed  him 
people  drew  aside,  amazed  and  murmuring: 

"A  madman  or  a  murderer  1" 


XVIII 

FANTOMAS'    VICTIM 

"You  understand  my  object,  Fandor?  Hither- 
to I  have  worked  unaided.  I  wanted  to  unearth 
Fantomas  and  bring  him  to  Headquarters,  saying 
to  my  superiors,  'For  three  years  you  have  main- 
tained this  man  was  dead;  well,  here  he  is!  I 
have  put  the  darbies  on  the  most  terrible  ruffian 
of  modern  times.'  Well,  I  must  forego  my  little 
triumph.  We  must  now  work  in  the  open.  Pub- 
lic opinion  must  come  to  our  aid." 

"Then  you  want  me  to  write  my  article?" 

"Yes,  and  tell  all  the  details;  wind  up  by  put- 
ting the  question  squarely.  'Is  not  Fantomas  still 
alive?'  Then  sum  up  in  the  affirmative.  Now, 
be  off.  I  want  to  read  your  article  this  evening 
in  the  Capital." 

Fandor  had  just  left  his  detective  friend  when 
old  Jean,  the  only  servant  that  Juve  tolerated 
in  his  private  quarters,  entered  the  room. 

142 


FANTOMAS  143 

"Don't  forget  the  person  who  is  waiting  in  the 
parlour,  sir." 

uAh,  yes,  to  be  sure.  A  person  who  comes  to 
see  me  at  home,  when  nobody  knows  my  address 
should  be  interesting.  Show  him  in,  Jean." 

Juve  placed  his  revolver  in  reach  of  his  hand 
as  Jean  announced:  "Maitre  Gerin,  notary." 

Juve  rose,  motioned  his  visitor  to  a  chair  and 
inquired  the  object  of  his  visit 

Maitre  Gerin  bowed  respectfully  to  Juve. 

"I  must  apologise,"  he  said,  "for  coming  to  dis- 
turb you  at  home,  sir,  but  it  concerns  a  matter 
of  such  importance  and  it  Involves  names  so  ter- 
rible that  I  could  not  utter  them  within  the  walls  of 
the  Surete.  What  brings  me  here  is  a  crime  which 
must  be  laid  to  Fantomas  or  his  heirs  in  crime." 

Juve  was  strangely  moved. 

"Speak,  sir,  I  am  all  attention." 

"M.  Juve,  I  believe  that  one  of  my  clients,  a 
woman,  has  been  killed.  I  have  had  for  some 
time  a  certain  sympathy,  and,  I  don't  disguise  it, 
an  immense  curiosity  concerning  her  because  she 
was  actually  involved  in  the  mysterious  affairs  of 
Fantomas." 

"The  name  of  the  woman,  counsel,  her  name, 
I  beg  of  you?" 

"The  name  of  the  woman  who,  I  fear,  has 
been  murdered  is — Lady  Beltham!" 


i44  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Juve  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  It  was  the  name 
he  wished  to  hear. 

Maitre  Gerin  continued:  "I  have  been  Lady 
Beltham's  lawyer  for  a  long  period  of  time,  but 
since  the  Fantomas  case  came  to  an  end  in  the 
sentencing  to  death  of  Gurn  and  the  subsequent 
scandal  attached  to  the  name  of  Lady  Beltham, 
I  have  ceased  to  have  any  further  tidings  of  that 
unhappy  woman. 

"Indirectly,  through  the  medium  of  the  papers 
which  at  times  gave  out  some  echo  of  her,  I  knew 
that  she  had  been  travelling,  then,  that  she  was 
back  in  Paris,  and  had  gone  to  live  at  Neuilly, 
Boulevard  Inkermann.  But  I  did  not  see  her 
again.  It  is  true  her  family  matters  were  set- 
tled, her  husband's  estate  entirely  wound  up.  In 
short,  she  had  no  reason  to  appeal  to  me  profes- 
sionally." 

"To  be  sure." 

•  "Well,  some  days  ago,  I  was  greatly  surprised 
by  her  visiting  my  office.  Naturally  I  refrained 
from  asking  her  any  awkward  questions." 

Juve  interrupted:  "In  Heaven's  name,  sir, 
how  long  ago  is  it  since  Lady  Beltham 
called  on  you?" 

"Nineteen  days,  sir." 

A  sigh  of  relief  escaped  Juve.  He  had  feared 
all  his  theories  regarding  the  body  at  the  Morgue 


FANTOMAS  145' 

the  day  before  were  going  to  collapse.  "Go  on, 
sir,"  he  cried. 

"Lady  Beltham,  on  being  shown  into  my  pri- 
vate office,  appeared  to  me  much  the  same  phys- 
ically as  I  had  known  her  previously,  but  she  was 
no  longer  the  great  lady,  cold,  haughty,  a  trifle 
disdainful.  She  seemed  crushed  under  a  terrible 
load,  a  prey  to  awful  mental  torture.  She  made 
appeal  to  my  discretion,  both  professionally  and 
as  a  man  of  honour. 

"She  then  spoke  as  follows:  'I  am  going  to 
write  a  letter  which,  if  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  a 
third  person,  would  bring  about  a  great  calamity. 
This  letter  I  shall  intrust  to  you  together  with 
my  Will  which  will  instruct  you  what  to  do  with 
it  at  my  death.  I  will  send  you  a  visiting  card 
with  a  line  in  my  own  handwriting  every  fort- 
night. If  ever  this  card  fails  to  come,  conclude 
that  I  am  dead,  that  they  have  murdered  me,  and 
carry  that  letter  where  I  tell  you — Avenge  me!'  ' 

"Well,  what  then?"  cried  Juve,  anxiously. 

"That  is  all,  M.  Juve.  I  have  not  seen  Lady 
Beltham  again,  nor  had  any  news  of  her.  When 
I  called  at  her  residence  I  was  told  she  was  away. 
I  have  come  to  ask  you  whether  you  think  she  has 
been  murdered." 

Juve  was  pacing  his  room  with  great  strides. 

"Maitre,"  he  said  at  last,  "your  story  confirms 


i46  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

all  I  have  suspected.  Yes,  Lady  Beltham  is  dead. 
She  has  been  murdered.  That  letter  contained 
her  confession  and  revealed  not  only  her  own 
crimes,  but  those  of  her  accomplices,  of  her  mas- 
ter— of — Fantomas.  Fantomas  killed  her  to  free 
himself  of  a  witness  to  his  evil  life." 

"Fantomas!     But  Fantomas  is  dead." 

"So  they  say." 

"Have  you  proofs  of  his  existence?" 

"I  am  looking  for  them." 

"What  do  you  think  of  doing?" 

"I  am  going  to  make  an  investigation.  I  am 
going  to  learn  where  and  how  Lady  Beltham  was 
killed.  I  shall  see  you  again,  Maitre.  Read  The 
Capital  this  evening.  You  will  find  in  it  many  in- 
teresting surprises." 


XIX 

THE  ENGLISHWOMAN  OF  BOULEVARD 
INKERMANN 

"To  sum  up  what  I  have  just  learned." 
Juve  was  seated  at  his  desk,  and  those  who 
knew  the  private  life  of  the  great  detective  would 
assuredly  have  guessed  that  he  was  gravely  pre- 
occupied. He  was  trying  to  extract  some  useful 
information  from  the  notary's  visit,  some  hints 
essential  to  the  investigation  he  had  taken  in 
hand,  and  that  at  all  hazards  he  meant  to  pur- 
sue to  a  successful  termination.  The  task  was 
fraught  with  difficulties  and  even  peril.  But 
the  triumph  would  be  great  if  he  should 
succeed  in  putting  the  "bracelets"  on  the 
"genius  of  crime,"  as  he  had  called  him  to 
his  friend  Fandor. 

"Lady  Beltham  had  gone  to  visit  Gerin.  She 
was  an  astute  woman 'after  all,  and  knew  how  to 
get  her  own  way.  There  must  have  been  power- 


148        /'EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

ful  motives  which  urged  her  to  write  that  confes- 
sion. What  were  those  motives  ? 

"Remorse?  No.  A  woman  who  loves  has  no 
remorse.  Fear?  Probably,  but  fear  of  what?" 

Juve,  without  being  aware  of  it,  had  just  writ- 
ten on  the  paper  of  his  note-book  the  ill-omened 
name  which  haunted  him. 

"Fantomas!" 

"Why,  of  course,  Fantomas  killed  Lady  Bel- 
tham,  and  killed  her  in  the  house  of  Doctor  Cha- 
leck,  an  accomplice.  And  Loupart,  a  third  ac- 
complice, got  his  mistress  to  write  to  me,  and  I 
believed  the  denunciation.  Loupart  got  us  to  dog 
him,  led  me  unawares  behind  the  curtains  in  the 
study,  and  made  me  witness  that  Chaleck  was  in- 
nocent. Oh,  the  ruse  was  a  clever  one.  Jose- 
phine herself,  by  the  two  shots  she  received  some 
days  later  at  Lariboisiere,  became  a  victim.  In 
short,  the  scent  was  crossed  and  broken." 

The  detective  snatched  up  his  hat,  saw  care- 
fully to  the  charges  of  his  pocket  revolver,  then 
gravely  and  solemnly  cried: 

"It  is  you  and  I  now,  Fantomas!"  with  which 
he  left  his  rooms. 

Juve  and  Fandor  were  entering  a  taxi-cab. 
"To  Neuilly  Church,"  cried  Juve  to  the  driver. 
"And,  now,  my  dear  Fandor,  you  must  be  think- 


FANTOMAS  149 

ing  me  crazy,  as  less  than  two  hours  ago  I  sent 
you  off  to  write  an  article,  and  here  I  come  tak- 
ing you  from  your  paper  and  carrying  you  away 
in  this  headlong  fashion.  But  just  listen  to  the 
tale  of  this  morning's  doings." 

Juve  then  gave  'a  full  account  of  Maitre  Ge- 
rin's  visit  and  wound  up  by  saying:  "It  is 
through  Lady  Beltham  that  we  must  unearth  that 
monster,  Fantomas." 

"That's  all  very  well,"  replied  Fandor,  "but 
as  the  lady  is  dead,  how  are  we  going  to  set  about 
it?" 

"By  reconstructing  the  last  hours  of  her  life. 
We  are  now  on  our  way  to  Lady  Beltham's  resi- 
dence, Boulevard  Inkermann." 

"And  what  are  we  to  do  when  we  arrive 
there?" 

"I  shall  examine  the  house,  which  is  probably 
empty,  and  you  are  to  'pump'  the  neighbours,  to 
ask  questions  of  the  tradespeople.  I  should  at- 
tract too  much  attention  if  I  were  to  do  this  my- 
self, and  that  is  why  I  dragged  you  away  from 
your  work." 

Some  moments  later  the  taxi  pulled  up  at  the 
corner  of  Boulevard  Inkermann. 

"The  house  is  number — "  said  Juve  as  he 
took  Fandor  by  the  arm.  "Bless  me,  you  remem- 
ber the  house  I  It  is  the  one  in  which  I  arrested 


1 50  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Gurn  three  years  ago;  that  famous  day  he  came 
to  see  Lady  Beltham,  disguised  as  a  beggar." 

The  two  friends  soon  found  themselves  at 
their  destination.  Through  the  garden  railing, 
which  was  wholly  covered  with  a  dense  growth 
of  ivy,  the  two  saw  the  house,  which  now  looked 
very  dilapidated. 

"It  doesn't  look  as  if  it  had  been  inhabited  for 
a  long  while,"  said  Fandor. 

"That's  what  we  want  to  make  sure  of.  Go 
and  make  your  inquiries." 

Fandor  left  his  companion  and  made  his  way 
back  to  the  commercial  section  of  Neuilly.  He 
stopped  opposite  a  sign  which  read: 

"Gardening  done." 

"Anyone  there?"  he  inquired. 

An  old  woman,  standing  in  the  doorway,  came 
forward.  "What  can  I  do  for  you,  sir?" 

"If  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  was  you  who  attended 
to  Lady  Beltham's  garden?" 

"Yes,  sir,  we  kept  her  garden  in  order.  But 
my  husband  hasn't  worked  there  for  several 
months,  as  Lady  Beltham  has  been  away." 

"I  heard  she  was  coming  back  to  Paris,  and 
called  to-day,  but  found  the  house  closed  up." 

"Oh,  I  am  sorry.  Lady  Beltham's  an  excellent 
customer  and  Mme.  Raymond  also  bought  flow- 
ers of  us." 


FANTOMAS  151 

"Mme.  Raymond.  She  is  a  friend  of  Lady 
Beltham?" 

"Her  companion.  It  is  now  close  to  a  year 
that  Mme.  Raymond  has  been  living  with  her. 
Oh!  a  very  pleasant  lady;  a  pretty  brunette,  very 
elegant  and  not  at  all  proud." 

Fandor  thought  it  well  not  to  seem  astonished. 

"Oh,  yes,  of  course,"  he  cried,  "Mme.  Ray- 
mond. I  remember  now.  Lady  Beltham's  life 
is  so  sad  and  lonely." 

"True  enough,"  the  woman  replied,  and,  low- 
ering her  voice:  "And  then,  what  with  all 
these  tales  of  noises  and  ghosts,  the  house  can't 
be  too  pleasant  to  live  in,  eh?" 

Fandor  pretended  to  be  well  posted.  "People 
still  talk  of  these  incidents?" 

"Oh,  yes,  sir." 

Fandor  did  not  venture  to  press  the  subject, 
and,  taking  leave  of  the  worthy  woman,  he 
made  his  way  back  to  the  Boulevard.  As  soon 
as  Juve  caught  sight  of  him  in  the  distance  he  ran 
up  eagerly. 

"Well?" 

"Well,  Juve,  what  have  you  found  out  during 
my  absence?" 

"In  the  first  place  t,hat  it  is  exactly  sixty-four 
days  since  Lady  Beltham  left  Neuilly.  I  discov- 
ered this  by  the  dates  on  a  lot  of  circulars  in  the 


152  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

letter  box.  I  also  had  a  talk  with  a  butcher's 
man  and  learned  that  Lady  Beltham  had  a  com- 
panion." 

"Oh!  I  was  bringing  you  that  same  news!" 

"This  Mme.  Raymond  is  young,  dark,  very 
pretty.  Can't  you  guess  who  she  is?" 

Fandor  stared  at  Juve. 

"You  mean " 

"Josephine.  It's  perfectly  clear.  We  know 
Lady  Beltham  wrote  a  confession,  that  Fantomas 
suspected  this  and  murdered  her  to  get  hold  of  it, 
and  further  that  in  this  murder  Loupart  was  in- 
volved. Josephine  was  introduced  to  Lady  Bel- 
tham by  Fantomas.  A  spy  going  there  to  betray 
the  great  lady  and  possibly  entice  her  later  to 
the  Cite  Frochot.  Let  us  make  haste,  lad.  We 
thought  we  had  to  follow  the  trail  of  Loupart 
and  Chaleck,  but  we  mustn't  lose  sight  of  Jo- 
sephine. She  may  be  the  means  of  helping  us  to 
the  truth." 


XX 

THE   ARREST   OF  JOSEPHINE 

The  somewhat  grim  faces  of  Mme.  Guinon, 
Julie  and  the  Flirt  lit  up  suddenly.  Bonzille, 
the  tramp  set  free  by  the  police  the  day  after  the 
"drive"  in  the  Rue  Charbonnieje,  had  opened 
the  bottle  of  vermouth,  and  Josephine  bustled 
around  to  find  glasses  to  put  on  the  table. 

Josephine  had  visitors  in  her  little  lodging. 
There  was  to  be  a  quiet  lunch.  On  the  sideboard 
attractive  dishes  were  ready,  a  fine  savour  of 
cooking  onions  came  from  the  dark  corner  in 
which  Loupart's  pretty  mistress  was  doing  hasty 
cookery  over  the  gas. 

"Neat  or  with  water?"  asked  Bonzille,  per- 
forming his  office  of  cup  bearer  with  comical  dig- 
nity. 

Mme.  Guinon  asked  for  plenty  of  water. 
Julie  shrugged  her  shoulders  indifferently;  she 
didn't  care  so  long  as  there  was  drink,  while  the 


154  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Flirt,  in  her  cracked  voice,  breathed  in  the  loaf- 
er's ear:  "How  about  a  sip  of  brandy  to  put  with 
it?" 

The  appetiser  loosened  tongues:  they  began  to 
cackle.  From  a  drawer  Josephine  got  out  a  pack 
of  cards,  which  the  Flirt  promptly  seized,  while 
Julie,  leaning  familiarly  on  her  shoulder,  coun- 
selled her: 

"Cut  with  the  left  and  watch  what  you  are 
doing;  we  shall  see  if  there's  any  luck  for  us  in 
the  pack." 

Josephine  had  now  been  back  three  days  from 
her  painful  journey  and  had  not  seen  Loupart. 
The  latter,  after  having  abandoned  the  motor  in 
some  waste  ground  among  the  fortifications,  had 
vanished  with  the  Beard,  only  bidding  his  mis- 
tress go  home  as  if  nothing  had  happened  and 
wait  for  news  of  him. 

The  Simplon  Express  affair  had  made  a  great 
stir  in  the  fashionable  world,  and  had  produced 
considerable  uneasiness  among  the  criminal  class. 

To  be  sure  no  name  had  been  mentioned,  and 
apparently  the  police  were  not  following  any 
definite  clue.  Still,  in  the  Chapelle  quarter,  and 
especially  in  the  den  of  the  "Goutte  d'Or"  and 
the  Rue  de  Chartres,  it  was  noticed  that  the  ab- 
sence of  the  chief  members  of  the  Band  of 


FANTOMAS  155 

Cyphers  coincided  with  the  date  of  the  tragedy. 

At  first  there  had  been  some  slight  stand- 
offishness  shown  to  Josephine  on  her  return.  She 
was  greeted  with  doubtful  allusions,  equivocal 
compliments,  with  a  touch  of  coldness,  and  folks 
were  also  amazed  at  not  seeing  Loupart  reappear 
with  her. 

Josephine  told  herself  that  she  must  at  all  costs 
disabuse  her  neighbours  of  this  bad  impression, 
and  that  is  why  she  had  decided  to  give  a  lun- 
cheon party  to  her  most  intimate  friends.  These 
might  also  be  her  most  formidable  opponents,  for 
such  damsels  as  the  Flirt  and  Julie,  even  big 
Ernestine,  could  not  fail  to  be  jealous  of  the  mis- 
tress of  a  distinguished  leader;  besides,  she  was 
the  prettiest  woman  in  the  quarter. 

Joining  the  conversation  from  time  to  time,  Jo- 
sephine smiled  and  regained  confidence.  Her 
manoeuvre  bade  fair  to  be  crowned  with  success. 

As  they  sat  down  to  table  the  door  opened  and 
Mother  Toulouche  came  in,  carrying  a  capacious 
basket. 

"Well,"  cried  the  old  fence,  "I  got  wind  that 
something  was  going  on  here,  and  I  said  to  my- 
self, 'Why  shouldn't  Mother  Toulouche  be  in  it 
as  well?'  One  more  ,or  less  don't  matter,  eh, 
Josephine?" 

Josephine  assented  and  made   room  for  her. 


i5 6  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Before  sitting  down  the  old  woman  put  her  basket 
on  the  floor. 

"If  I  invite  myself,  Fifine,  I  bring  something 
to  the  feast.  Here  are  some  portugals  and  two 
dozen  snails  which  will  help  out." 

All  at  once,  Josephine,  who,  despite  the  gen- 
eral gaiety,  was  absent-minded  and  preoccupied, 
rose  and  ran  to  the  door,  answering  a  knock. 
She  was  at  bottom  horribly  uneasy  at  hearing 
nothing  of  her  lover.  She  began  to  fear  that  the 
police  for  once  might  have  got  the  upper  hand. 
It  was  little  Paulot,  the  porter's  son,  who  rushed 
in  quite  out  of  breath. 

"Mme.  Josephine,  mother  told  me  to  come  up 
and  warn  you  that  two  gentlemen  were  asking 
for  you  in  the  lodge  just  now.  Two  gentlemen  in 
special  'rig.'  " 

"Do  you  know  them,  Paulot?" 

"I  don't,  Mme.  Josephine." 

"What  did  they  want  of  me?" 

"They  didn't  say." 

"What  did  your  mother  answer?" 

"Don't  know.  Believe  she  told  'em  you  were 
in  your  den." 

The  occurrence  cast  a  chill  over  the  company. 
Little  Paulot  was  given  a  big  glass  of  claret,  and 
when  he  had  left  the  Flirt  observed  gravely: 

"It's  the  cops." 


FANTOMAS  157 

"Why  should  they  come  and  inquire  for 
me?" 

Julie  tried  to  console  her. 

"Anyhow  they'll  not  come  up  to  your  place." 

Josephine  was  greatly  upset.  Were  they  after 
her  or  Loupart?  Why  had  they  withdrawn? 
Would  they  come  back? 

In  a  flash  she  burst  out,  beating  her  fist  on  the 
table : 

"Bah!  IVe  had  enough  of  this,  not  knowing 
what  is  going  to  happen  from  one  moment  to  the 
next.  Sooner  than  stay  here,  I'll  go  and  find 
out." 

The  Flirt  suggested,  with  a  spiteful  smile. 

"Go  ahead,  my  girl,  they  won't  be  far  away; 
go  and  ask  them  what  they  want." 

"Very  well,"  cried  Josephine,  "I  will." 

And  the  young  girl  emptied  her  glass  to  give 
her  courage. 

"And  if  you  don't  come  back,  we'll  set  your 
room  to  rights,"  cried  the  Flirt  after  her.  "Good 
luck,  try  and  not  sleep  in  the  jug." 

Josephine  rushed  downstairs,  and  then,  after 
a  moment's  hesitation,  turned  and  went  down  the 
Rue  de  Chartres. 

At  first  she  noticed, nothing  unusual  or  suspi- 
cious. The  faces  of  those  she  met  were  mostly 
familiar  to  her.  But  suddenly  her  heart  stopped 


158  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

beating.  Two  men  accosted  her  simultaneously, 
one  on  her  right,  the  other  on  her  left. 

Her  neighbour  on  the  right  asked  very  softly: 

"Are  you  Josephine  Ramot?" 

"Yes." 

"You  must  come  with  us." 

"Yes,"  said  Josephine,  resigned. 

A  few  moments  later,  Josephine,  seated  in  a 
cab  between  the  two  men,  was  crossing  Paris. 
The  detectives  had  given  the  address:  "Boule- 
vard du  Palais." 

Loupart's  mistress,  taken  on  her  arrival  to  the 
anteroom  adjoining  the  private  rooms  of  the  ex- 
amining magistrates,  had  not  much  time  for  re- 
flection. 

To  be  sure,  she  was  not  guilty.  Not  guilty? 
Well,  at  bottom  the  affair  of  the  Marseilles  train 
made  Josephine  uneasy.  And  the  story  of  the 
motor,  too,  the  motor  taken  by  force  from  un- 
known travellers.  What  knowledge  had  the  po- 
lice of  these  events?  When  questioned,  was  she 
to  confess  or  deny? 

A  little  old  man,  bald  and  fussy,  appeared  at 
the  end  of  the  passage  and  called  her. 

"Josephine  Ramot,  the  private  room  of  Jus- 
tice Fuselier." 

Mechancially  she  went  forward  between  her 
two  captors,  who  pushed  her  into  a  well-lit  apart- 


FANTOMAS  159 

ment,  in  the  corner  of  which  stood  a  big  desk.  A 
well-dressed  gentleman  was  sitting  there,  writing; 
opposite  him,  in  the  shadow,  some  one  stood  mo- 
tionless. The  magistrate  raised  his  head ;  his  face 
was  cold  and  contained,  but  not  spiteful. 

"What  is  your  name?" 

"Josephine  Ramot." 

"Where  were  you  born?" 

"Rue  de  Belleville." 

"What  is  your  age?" 

"Twenty-two." 

"You  live  by  prostitution?" 

Josephine  coloured  and,  with  an  angry  voice, 
cried: 

"No,  your  honour,  I  have  a  calling.  I  am  a 
polisher." 

"Are  you  working  now?" 

Josephine  felt  awkward. 

"Well,  to  say  the  truth,  at  the  moment  I  have 
no  work,  but  they  know  me  at  M.  Monthier's, 
Rue  de  Malte;  it  was  there  I  was  apprenticed, 
and " 

"And  since  you  became  the  mistress  of  the  ruf- 
fian Loupart,  known  as  'The  Square,'  you  have 
ceased  to  practise  an  honest  calling?" 

"I  won't  deny  being  Loupart's  mistress,  but  as 
for  prostitution " 

The  man  Josephine  had  noticed  standing  in 


160  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

the  shadow  came  forward  and  murmured  a  few 
words  in  the  magistrate's  ear. 

"M.  Juve,"  cried  Josephine,  moving  toward 
the  inspector  with  her  hand  out.  She  stopped 
short  as  the  detective  motioned  to  her  that  such  a 
familiarity  was  not  allowable,  and  the  examination 
was  resumed. 

The  magistrate,  after  having  by  some  curt  ques- 
tions brought  to  light  the  salient  points  of  Jo- 
sephine's life,  and  clearly  mapped  out  the  speedy 
development  of  the  honest  little  work  girl  into  a 
ruffian's  mistress,  and  in  all  probability,  accom- 
plice, began  the  interrogation  on  the  main  point. 

At  some  length  he  narrated  without  losing  a 
single  change  of  her  countenance,  the  various  in- 
cidents of  the  evening  begun  in  the  railway  which 
ended  with  the  disaster  to  the  Simplon  Express. 

Fuselier  made  Josephine  pass  again  through 
her  headlong  exit  from  Lariboisiere,  her  quick 
passage  through  Paris  when  she  was  barely  con- 
valescent, and  still  suffering  from  the  effects  of 
the  fever,  her  departure  in  the  Marseilles  Ex- 
press, where  she  picked  up  half  a  score  of  foot- 
pads headed  by  her  redoubtable  lover;  then  the 
waiting  in  the  silence  of  the  night,  the  affray,  the 
threats,  and  lastly,  after  breaking  the  couplings 
to  the  train,  the  dangerous  flight  of  the  band,  the 
headlong  rush  through  the  country. 


FANTOMAS  161 

The  magistrate  wound  up: 

"You  came  to  town  afterwards,  Josephine  Ra- 
mot,  in  company  with  Loupart,  called  'The 
Square,'  and  his  factotum,  the  ruffian  'Beard.' ' 

Josephine,  embarrassed  by  the  steady  glance 
of  the  magistrate,  endeavoured  to  keep  her  face 
devoid  of  expression,  but  as  in  his  recital  the 
points  of  the  adventure  she  had  shared  grew  more 
definite,  she  felt  she  was  constantly  changing  col- 
our and  at  certain  moments  her  eyelids  quivered 
over  her  downcast  eyes. 

Evidently  he  was  well  posted.  That  young 
man  who  got  into  the  same  compartment  as  M. 
Martialle  must  certainly  have  belonged  to  the 
police.  But  for  that  the  judge  would  never  have 
known  precisely  what  took  place.  Decidedly  this 
was  a  bad  beginning. 

Josephine  now  dreaded  to  see  the  door  open 
and  Loupart  appear,  the  bracelets  on  his  wrists, 
followed  by  the  Beard,  similarly  fettered,  for  be- 
yond a  doubt  the  two  men  had  been  nabbed. 

Hunched  up,  her  nerves  tense,  Josephine  kept 
her  mind  fixed  on  one  point.  She  was  waiting 
anxiously  for  the  first  chance  to  protest.  At  a 
certain  juncture  the  magistrate  declared: 

"You  three,  LouparJ,  'The  Beard'  and  your- 
self, shared  between  you  the  proceeds  of  the  rob- 
beries committed." 


1 62  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

As  soon  as  she  could  get  a  word  in,  Josephine 
shouted  her  innocence. 

Oh,  as  to  that,  no!  She  had  not  touched  a 
cent  from  the  business.  She  did  not  even  know 
what  was  involved. 

The  exact  truth  was  this.  She  was  ill  in  the 
hospital  when  all  of  a  sudden  she  remembered 
that  Loupart  had  some  days  before  bidden  her 
be  at  all  costs  at  the  Lyons  Station,  on  a  certain 
Saturday  evening  at  exactly  seven  o'clock.  Now 
that  particular  Saturday  was  the  day  after  the 
attempt  on  her  life.  As  she  was  much  better  she 
set  off  in  obedience  to  her  lover.  She  knew  no 
more ;  she  had  done  no  more ;  she  would  not  have 
them  accuse  her  of  any  more. 

The  young  woman  had  gradually  grown  warm, 
her  voice  rose  and  vibrated.  The  judge  let  her 
have  her  say,  and  when  she  had  finished  there 
was  a  silence. 

M.  Fuselier  slowly  dipped  a  pen  in  the  ink, 
and  in  his  level  voice  declared,  casting  a  glance 
in  Juve's  direction: 

"After  all,  what  seems  clearly  established  is 
complicity.'* 

Josephine  gave  a  start — she  knew  the  terrible 
significance  of  the  term.  Complicity  meant  joint 
guilt. 

But  Juve  intervened : 


FANTOMAS  163 

"Excuse  me,  in  place  of  'complicity'  perhaps 
we  had  better  say  'compulsion.'  ' 

"I  don't   follow  you,   Juve." 

"We  must  bear  in  mind,  your  honour,  that  this 
girl  is  to  be  pardoned  to  a  certain  extent  for 
having  obeyed  her  lover's  order,  more  particu- 
larly at  a  time  when  the  latter  had  gained  quite 
a  victory  over  the  police.  For  in  spite  of  the 
protection  of  our  people,  his  attempt  against  her 
partially  succeeded." 

Taken  aback,  M.  Fuselier  looked  from  the  de- 
tective to  the  young  woman  whom  he  regarded 
as  guilty.  Juve's  outburst  seemed  to  him  out  of 
place. 

"Your  pardon,  Juve,  but  your  reasoning  seems 
to  me  somewhat  specious;  however,  I  will  not 
press  this  charge  against  the  girl;  we  have  some- 
thing better." 

Turning  to  Loupart's  mistress,  the  judge  asked 
abruptly : 

"What  has  become  of  Lady  Beltham?" 

Josephine  was  amazed  by  the  question.  She 
turned  inquiring  eyes  toward  Juve,  who  quickly 
said: 

"M.  Fuselier,  this  is  not  the  moment " 

The  magistrate,  dropping  this  line,  again  tack- 
led Josephine  on  her  relations  with  Loupart. 

In  a  flash  Josephine  made  up  her  mind.     She 


1 64  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

would  simulate  innocence  at  all  costs.  With  the 
craft  of  a  consummate  actress,  she  began  in  a 
low  voice,  which  gradually  rose  and  became  im- 
pressive, insinuating : 

"How  pitiful  it  is  to  think  that  everyone  bears 
a  grudge  against  a  poor  girl  who,  some  day  in 
springtime,  has  given  herself  the  pleasure  of  a 
lover!  Is  there  any  harm  in  giving  oneself  to 
the  man  who  loves  you?  Who  forbids  it?  No 
one  but  the  priests,  and  they  have  been  kicked 
out  of  doors!" 

The  magistrate  could  not  help  smiling,  and 
Juve  showed  signs  of  amusement. 

"But  I  am  honest,  and  when  I  understand 
something  of  what  was  going  on,  I  wrote  to  M. 
Juve.  And  what  thanks  did  I  get?  Two  bullet 
holes  in  my  skin!" 

M.  Fuselier  hesitated  about  turning  his  sum- 
mons into  a  committal. 


XXI 

AT    THE    MONTMARTRE    FETE 

The  fete  of  Montmartre  was  at  its  height.  In 
the  Place  Blanche  a  joyous  crowd  was  pressing 
round  a  booth  of  huge  dimensions,  splendidly 
lighted.  On  the  stage  a  cheap  Jack,  decked  out 
in  many-coloured  frippery,  was  delivering  his  pat- 
ter: 

"Walk  in,  ladies  and  gentlemen;  it's  only  ten 
cents,  and  you  won't  regret  your  money!  The 
management  of  the  theatre  will  present  to  you, 
without  delay,  the  prettiest  woman  in  the  world 
and  also  the  fattest,  who  weighs  a  trifle  over  600 
pounds  and  possibly  more;  as  no  scale  has  yet 
been  found  strong  enough  to  weigh  her  without 
breaking  into  a  thousand  pieces. 

"You  will  also  have  the  rare  and  weird  sight 
of  a  black  from  Abyssinia  whose  splendid  ebony 
hide  has  been  tattooed'  in  white.  Furthermore,  a 
young  girl  of  scarcely  fourteen  summers  will 

165 


i66  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

astound  you  by  entering  the  cage  of  the  ferocious 
beasts,  whose  terrible  roarings  reach  you  here! 
The  programme  is  most  interesting,  and  after 
these  incomparable  attractions,  you  will  applaud 
the  cinema  in  colours — the  last  exploit  of  modern 
science — showing  the  recent  tour  of  the  President 
of  the  Republic,  and  himself  in  person  delivering 
his  speech  to  an  audience  as  numerous  as  it  is 
select.  You  will  also  see,  reproduced  in  the  most 
stirring  and  life-like  manner,  all  the  details  of 
the  mysterious  murder  which  at  this  moment  en- 
gages public  interest  and  keeps  the  police  on 
tenter-hooks.  The  crime  at  the  Cite  Frochot, 
with  the  murdered  woman,  the  Empire  clock,  and 
the  extinguished  candle:  all  the  accessories  in 
full,  including  the  collapse  of  the  elevator  into 
the  sewer.  The  show  is  beginning!  It  has  be- 
gun!" 

Among  the  throng  surrounding  the  mounte- 
bank three  persons  seemed  especially  amused  by 
the  peroration.  They  were  two  gentlemen,  very 
elegant  and  distinguished,  in  evening  clothes,  and 
with  them  a  pretty  woman  wearing  a  loose  silk 
mantle  over  her  low  dress. 

She  put  her  lips  to  the  ear  of  the  older  of  her 
companions,  who,  with  his  turned-up  moustache 
and  grey  hair,  looked  like  a  cavalry  officer. 

She  murmured  to  him  these  strange  words: 


FANTOMAS  167 

"Squint  at  the  guy  on  the  left,  the  one  passing 
before  the  clock-seller's  booth.  "That's  one  of 
the  gang.  He  was  in  the  Simplon  affair." 

The  pretty  Parisian,  so  smartly  dressed,  was 
no  other  than  Josephine.  The  young  man  with 
the  fair  beard  was  Fandor  and  the  cavalry  officer 
was  Juve.  The  three  now  "worked"  together. 
The  partnership  dated  from  the  afternoon  that 
Josephine  escaped  arrest,  thanks  to  the  lucky  in- 
tervention of  Juve. 

The  latter  had  little  belief  in  the  young  wom- 
an's innocence,  but  by  getting  her  on  his  side,  he 
hoped  to  secure  information  as  to  Loupart's  do- 
ings. 

Juve  was  talking  to  a  ragged  Arab  selling 
nougat  to  the  passers-by. 

"Ay,  sir,"  explained  the  Arab.  "I  have  been 
dogging  little  Mimile  since  two  this  afternoon." 

"Bravo,  my  dear  Michel,  your  disguise  is  a 
perfect  success." 

Josephine  came  suddenly  close  and  pulled  Juve 
by  the  sleeve,  and  then  pointed  to  a  group  of 
persons  who  were  crossing  the  Place  Blanche. 
Without  troubling  further  about  the  Arab,  Juve 
at  once  began  to  follow  this  group,  motioning  to 
Josephine  and  Fandor  to  follow  him  closely.  The 
three  threaded  their  way  through  the  crowd  with 
a  thousand  precautions,  seeking  to  avoid  atten- 


1 68  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

tion,  yet  not  losing  sight  of  their  quarry.  All 
three  had  recognised  Loupart! 

The  outlaw,  dressed  in  a  long  blouse,  with  a 
tall  cap,  and  armed  with  a  stout  cudgel,  was 
walking  among  half  a  dozen  individuals  similarly 
attired.  By  their  garb  they  would  be  taken  for 
cattle-herders  from  La  Villette. 

This  group  proceeded  slowly  in  the  direction 
of  Place  Pigalle,  and  Juve,  who  was  pressing 
hard  on  his  quarry,  slackened  his  pace  in  order 
to  let  them  forge  ahead  a  little.  The  square, 
which  was  surrounded  by  brilliantly  illuminated 
restaurants,  was  a  flood  of  light,  and  the  detec- 
tive did  not  want  people  to  notice  him.  More- 
over, the  pseudo-cattle-drivers  had  stopped,  too: 
gathering  round  Loupart  they  listened  attentively 
to  his  remarks,  made  in  a  low  tone.  Clearly  they 
were  accomplices  of  the  robber,  who,  perhaps, 
realised  that  they  were  being  followed. 

Fandor,  who  had  put  his  arm  through  Jose- 
phine's, felt  the  young  woman's  heart  beating  as 
though  it  would  burst.  They  were  all  playing 
for  high  stakes.  Josephine,  especially,  was  in  a 
compromising  and  dangerous  plight.  Not  only 
had  she  to  fear  the  wrath  of  her  lover,  but  she 
ran  the  risk  of  being  "spotted"  by  one  of  the 
many  satellites  of  the  gang  of  Cyphers,  in  which 
case  her  condemnation  would  be  certain. 


FANTOMAS  169 

Fandor  encouraged  her  with  a  few  kind 
words : 

"You  know,  mademoiselle,  you  mustn't  be 
frightened.  If  I  am  not  greatly  mistaken,  Lou- 
part  is  about  to  be  nabbed,  and  once  in  Juve's 
hands  he  won't  get  out  of  them  in  a  hurry." 

Josephine's  perturbation  was  scarcely  quieter, 
and  Fandor,  a  trifle  skeptical,  asked  himself 
whether  in  reality  the  girl  was  on  their  side  or 
if  she  were  not  playing  the  game  of  false  infor- 
mation. Suddenly  something  fresh  happened. 

Loupart,  separating  himself  from  his  compan- 
ions, entered  a  restaurant  upon  which  the  words 

"The  Crocodile" 

were  inscribed  in  dazzling  letters  on  its  front. 
The  Crocodile  comprised,  like  most  night  resorts, 
a  large  saloon  on  the  ground  floor  and  a  dining- 
room  on  the  first  floor  which  was  reached  by  a 
little  stairway  and  guarded  by  a  giant  clad  in 
magnificent  livery.  Above  this  were  apartments 
and  private  rooms. 

Just  then,  as  it  was  near  midnight,  a  number 
of  carriages  were  bringing  couples  in  evening 
dress,  who  mounted  the  staircase.  To  their  great 
surprise,  Fandor  and  Josephine  saw  Loupart 
make  for  this  staircase.  The  long  smock  of  the 
seeming  cattle-driver  would  certainly  make  a 


170  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

queer  showing.  What  was  the  formidable  rob- 
ber's game?  Juve  gave  hasty  directions: 

"It's  all  right.  I  know  the  house.  It  has  only 
one  exit.  You,  Ramot,"  he  went  on,  addressing 
the  young  woman,  "go  up  to  the  first  floor  and 
take  your  place  at  a  table;  here  are  ten  dollars, 
order  champagne  and  don't  be  too  stiff  with  the 
company." 

Josephine  nodded  and  went  upstairs. 

Juve  and  Fandor  followed  a  few  minutes  later 
and  took  up  a  strategic  position  at  a  table  near 
the  doorway.  Fandor  had  a  view  of  the  room 
and  Juve  commanded  the  hall  and  stairway. 
From  the  room  came  a  confused  hum  of  laughter, 
cries  and  doubtful  jokes.  A  negro,  clad  in  red 
and  armed  with  a  gong,  capered  among  the  ta- 
bles, dancing  and  singing. 

Fandor  caught  sight  of  Josephine,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  carrying  out  Juve's  instructions. 
Beside  her  was  a  fair  giant  of  red  complexion 
and  clean-shaven  face,  whose  Anglo-Saxon  origin 
was  beyond  doubt.  Fandor  knew  the  face;  he 
had  seen  the  man  somewhere ;  he  remembered  his 
square  shoulders  and  bull-like  neck,  and  the  enor- 
mous biceps  which  stood  out  under  the  cloth  of 
his  sleeves. 

"By  Jove!"  he  cried  suddenly.  "Why  it's 
Dixon,  the  American  heavyweight  champion  1" 


FANTOMAS  171 

Juve  signalled  to  the  waiter  to  bring  him  the 
bill  as  he  fitted  a  monocle  into  his  right  eye. 

Fandor  stared  at  him,  surprised. 

"Well,  Juve,  when  you  get  yourself  up  as  a 
man  of  the  world,  you  omit  no  detail." 

Juve  made  no  reply  for  some  moments,  then 
turned  to  his  companion. 

"Who  else  do  you  see  in  the  room?" 

Fandor  looked  carefully,  and  then  made  a  ges- 
ture of  amazement. 

"Chaleck!  Chaleck  is  over  there  eating  his 
supper!" 

"Yes,"  said  Juve  simply,  "and  you  are  stupid 
not  to  have  seen  him  before." 

The  profile  of  the  mysterious  doctor  was  in 
fact  outlined  very  sharply  at  a  table,  amply 
served  and  covered  with  bottles  and  flowers, 
around  which  half  a  score  of  persons,  men  and 
women,  had  taken  their  places. 

Without  turning  his  head,  Juve  remarked: 

"Judging  by  the  action  of  the  person  who  is 
at  this  moment  lighting  a  cigar  the  supper  is  not 
far  from  coming  to  an  end." 

"Come,  now,  Juve,  have  you  eyes  in  your 
back?  How  can  you  know  what  is  going  on  at 
Doctor  Chaleck's  table,  while  you  are  looking  in 
the  opposite  direction?" 

Juve  handed  his  eye-glass  to  the  journalist. 


172  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Ah!  Now  I  see!  A  trick  eye-glass,  with  a 
mirror  in  it — not  a  bad  idea." 

"It  is  quite  simple,"  murmured  Juve.  "The 
main  thing  is  to  have  thought  of  it.  Come,  let  us 
go  down." 

"What?     And  desert  the  doctor?" 

"An  arrest  should  never  be  made  in  a  public 
place  when  it  can  be  avoided.  Here,  give  me 
your  card  that  I  may  send  it  up  with  mine." 

Juve  called  M.  Dominique,  the  manager,  and, 
pointing  out  Chaleck  to  him,  said: 

"M.  Dominique,  please  give  our  cards  to  that 
gentleman  and  say  that  we  are  waiting  outside  to 
speak  to  him." 

In  a  few  moments  Chaleck  came  out  of  the  sa- 
loon to  the  Place  Pigalle. 

His  face  was  calm  and  his  glance  unmoved. 
Juve  laid  his  hand  upon  the  doctor's  shoulder, 
and,  signalling  to  a  subordinate  in  uniform,  cried: 

"Doctor  Chaleck,  I  arrest  you  in  the  name  of 
the  law." 

Chaleck  quietly  flicked  off  his  cigar  ash  and 
smiled: 

"Do  you  know,  M.  Juve,  I  am  not  pleased 
with  you.  I  read  in  the  papers,  during  a  recent 
holiday  abroad,  that  you  had  pulled  my  house  ab- 
solutely to  pieces!  That  was  not  nice  of  you, 
when  we  had  been  on  such  good  terms." 


FANTOMAS  173 

This  speech  was  so  startling,  so  unlocked  for, 
that  Juve,  though  not  easily  surprised,  had  noth- 
ing to  answer  for  the  moment. 

Meanwhile,  Chaleck  tamely  let  himself  be 
dragged  toward  the  station  in  the  Rue  Roche- 
foucauld. 

"The  fine  fellow,"  thought  Juve,  "must  have 
got  his  whole  case  prepared — he  will  give  us  a 
run  for  our  money;  still  it  must " 

The  detective  gave  vent  to  a  loud  yell.  They 
had  just  got  to  the  point  where  the  Rue  Rochefou- 
cauld is  intersected  by  the  Rue  Notre  Dame  de 
Lorette :  a  cab  drawn  by  a  big  horse  was  moving 
in  one  direction  and  a  motor-bus  coming  from 
another.  It  had  already  cleared  the  Rue  Pigalle, 
and  in  a  second  would  cut  across  the  Rue  Roche- 
foucauld, when  Chaleck,  literally  coming  out  of 
the  Inverness  coat  he  wore,  leaped  ahead  of  Juve, 
dodged  under  the  cab  horse  and  boarded  the  bus, 
which  rapidly  went  on  its  way.  All  this  had 
been  accomplished  in  an  instant. 

Left  dumbfounded,  face  to  face,  Juve  and  Fan- 
dor,  together  with  the  officer,  contemplated  the 
only  token  left  them  by  Chaleck.  An  elegant 
Inverness  cloak  with  capes,  which,  oddly  enough, 
had  shoulders  and  arms — arms  of  India-rubber, 
so  well  imitated  that  through  the  cloth  they  dis- 
tinctly gave  the  impression  of  human  arms. 


174  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Juve  let  fly  a  tremendous  oath,  then  turned  to 
Fandor  and  cried: 

"How  about  Loupart?" 

The  two  men  hastily  reascended  the  Rue  Pi- 
galle.  They  counted  on  standing  sentry  again 
before  the  "Crocodile."  But  as  they  reached 
the  square  Juve  and  Fandor  were  faced  by  fresh 
surprises.  A  powerful  motor-car  was  slowly 
getting  under  way.  In  it  was  the  American 
Dixon,  with  Josephine  beside  him. 

Was  the  girl  playing  them  false?  That  was 
the  most  important  thing  to  ascertain. 

The  car  made  off  at  a  good  pace  toward  the 
Place  Clichy.  Half  a  moment  later  Juve  was 
bowling  after  them  in  a  taxi,  calling  to  Fandor 
as  he  left: 

"Look  after  the  other." 

Fandor  understood  "The  other"  referred  to 
Loupart,  and  carefully  pumped  M.  Dominique, 
but  could  get  no  further  news  from  him,  so,  after 
waiting  an  hour  for  Juve  to  return,  he  went  home 
to  bed  far  from  easy  in  his  mind. 

Juve  followed  the  American  through  Billan- 
court,  past  Sevres  Bridge,  and  finally  into  the 
Bellevue  District,  when,  opposite  Brimboison 
Park,  Dixon,  with  the  air  of  a  proprietor,  took 
his  motor  into  a  fine  looking  estate.  Then,  hav- 


FANTOMAS  175 

ing  housed  the  car,  the  pugilist,  with  Loupart's 
mistress,  went  into  the  house,  which  was  lit  up 
for  half  an  hour,  after  which  all  was  plunged 
again  into  darkness. 

Juve  had  left  his  taxi  at  the  bottom  of  the 
hill,  and,  having  cleared  the  low  wall  of  the 
grounds,  hid  himself  in  view  of  the  house.  He 
waited  until  daybreak,  but  nothing  occurred  to 
trouble  the  peace  and  hush  of  the  night.  And 
then,  unwilling  to  be  seen  in  his  evening  clothes 
by  chance  passers-by,  he  regretfully  returned  to 
the  Rue  Bonaparte. 


XXII 

THE  PUGILIST'S  WHIM 

An  old  servant  had  brought  out  the  early  coffee 
to  the  arbour  in  the  garden.  It  was  about  eight 
o'clock,  and  in  the  shady  retreat  the  freshness  of 
springtime  reigned.  Soon  down  the  gravel  walk 
appeared  the  well-built  figure  of  Dixon,  dressed 
in  white  flannels.  He  bent  under  the  arch  of 
grenery  that  led  to  the  arbour,  and  seemed  vexed 
to  find  that  it  was  empty. 

Clearly  the  pugilist  was  not  going  to  break- 
fast alone  and,  to  while  away  the  time  until  his 
companion  should  appear,  he  lighted  a  cigarette. 

Suddenly  the  door  of  the  house  opened  to  give 
passage  to  a  gracious  apparition — Josephine. 
Wrapped  in  a  kimona  of  bright  silk  and  smiling 
at  the  fine  morning,  the  young  woman  came  slow- 
ly down  the  steps  and  then  stopped  short, 
blushing.  Some  one  came  to  meet  her — it  was 
Dixon. 

176 


FANTOMAS  177 

The  giant,  too,  seemed  moved.  Lowering  his 
eyes  he  asked: 

"How  are  you  this  morning,  fair  lady?" 

"And  you,  M.  Dixon?" 

"Mile.  Finette,  the  coffee  is  served,  won't  you 
join  me?" 

The  two  young  people  broke  their  fast  in  si- 
lence, exchanging  only  monosyllables,  to  ask  for 
a  napkin,  a  plate,  the  sugar.  At  last,  overcom- 
ing his  bashfulness  Dixon  asked  in  a  voice  full 
of  entreaty: 

"Will  you  always  be  so  hard-hearted?" 

Josephine,  embarrassed,  evaded  the  question, 
and  with  a  show  of  gaiety  to  hide  her  confusion, 
remarked: 

"This  is  an  awfully  nice  place  of  yours." 

The  pugilist  answered  her  by  describing  the 
calm  and  simple  delights  of  a  country  life  in  the 
springtime,  and,  slipping  his  arm  round  her  sup- 
ple waist,  asked  her  softly: 

"As  you  consented  to  come  this  far  with  me, 
why  did  you  repel  me  afterwards?  Why  resist 
me  so  stubbornly?" 

"I  was  a  trifle  tipsy  yesterday,"  she  replied. 
"I  don't  know  what  I  did  or  why  I  came  here 
with  you."  And  then,  with  a  touch  of  sadness: 
"Naturally,  finding  me  in  such  a  place  you  took 
me  for  a " 


i78  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"Sure  enough,"  replied  the  American,  "but  I 
can  see  you  are  not  like  the  others." 

"And  what  attracts  me  to  you,"  continued  Jo- 
sephine, "is  that  you  are  not  a  brute.  Why,  yes- 
terday evening,  if  you  had  wanted,  when  we  were 
alone  together,  eh?" 

And  she  gave  Dixon  such  a  queer  look  that  he 
asked  himself  whether  she  did  not  regard  him  as 
absurd  for  having  respected  her. 

"I  like  you  very  much,"  he  said,  "more  than 
any  other  woman.  In  a  month  from  now  I  shall 
be  off  to  America.  I  have  already  a  good  deal 
of  money  and  I  shall  earn  much  more  out  there. 
If  you  will  come  with  me,  we  won't  part  any  more. 
Do  you  agree?" 

Josephine  was  at  first  amused  by  this  down- 
right declaration,  but  gradually  she  took  it  more 
seriously.  She  would  see  the  world,  be  elegant, 
rich,  well  dressed.  She  would  have  her  future  se- 
cured and  no  more  bother  with  the  police.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  might  become  terribly  bor- 
ing after  the  exciting  life  she  had  led.  And  there 
was  Loupart.  Certainly  he  was  often  repellant 
to  her,  but  he  had  only  to  come  back  and  speak 
to  her  to  be  again  submissive,  loving  and  trac- 
table. And,  strange  to  say,  there  was  also — just 
of  late — at  the  bottom  of  Josephine's  heart,  a  feel- 
ing of  friendship,  almost  affection,  for  the  stern 


FANTOMAS  179 

and  thorough-going  detective,  for  Juve,  to  whom 
she  owed  her  escape  from  a  very  bad  fix.  Fandor, 
too,  she  liked  pretty  well.  She  valued  the  daring 
journalist,  quick,  full  of  courage,  and  yet  a  good 
sort,  free  from  prejudice.  The  more  she  thought 
about  it,  the  more  Josephine  felt  herself  to  be 
strikingly  complex:  she  felt  that  she  could  not 
analyse  her  feelings,  she  was  incomprehensible 
even  to  herself. 

"Let  me  think  it  over  a  little  longer,"  she 
asked.  Dixon  rose  ceremoniously. 

"Dear  friend,"  he  declared,  "you  are  at  home 
here,  as  long  as  you  care  to  stay,  and  I  hope  you 
will  consent  to  lunch  with  me  at  one  o'clock. 
From  now  till  then  I  shall  leave  you  alone  to 
think  at  your  leisure." 

The  old  servant,  too,  having  gone  off  shop- 
ping, Josephine  remained  alone  in  the  place,  and 
after  visiting  the  charming  villa  from  top  to  bot- 
tom strolled  delightedly  amid  the  lovely  scenery 
of  the  park.  As  she  was  about  to  turn 
into  a  narrow  path,  she  uttered  a  loud  cry. 
Loupart  was  before  her.  The  leader  of  the 
Gang  of  Cyphers  had  his  evil  look  and  savage 
smile. 

"How  goes  it?"  he  cried,  then  queried,  sardon- 
ically: "Which  would  madame  prefer,  the  pig- 
sticker or  the  barker?" 


i8o  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

Josephine,  in  terror,  stepped  backwards  till 
she  rested  against  the  trunk  of  a  great  tree. 

Loupart  carelessly  got  out  his  revolver  and  his 
knife :  he  seemed  to  hesitate  which  weapon  to  use. 

"Loupart,"  stammered  Josephine,  in  a  choking 
voice,  "don't  kill  me — what  have  I  done?" 

The  ruffian  snarled. 

"Not  only  do  you  peach  to  M.  Juve,  but  you 
let  yourself  be  carried  off  by  the  first  toff  that 
comes  along;  you  don't  stick  at  making  me  a 
cuckold!  That's  very  well!" 

Josephine  fell  on  her  knees  in  the  thick  grass. 
Sure  enough  she  had  played  Loupart  false,  and 
suddenly  a  wave  of  remorse  rose  in  her  heart 
She  was  overcome  at  the  thought  that  she  could 
have  endangered  her  lover  even  for  a  moment, 
that  she  could  have  informed  the  police.  She 
was  honestly  maddened  by  the  thought  that  Lou- 
part had  all  but  been  arrested  through  her  fault. 
Yes,  he  was  right  in  reproaching  her,  she  de- 
served to  be  punished.  As  for  having  wronged 
him,  that  was  not  true.  She  protested  with  all 
her  might  against  his  accusation  of  unfaithful- 
ness. 

"I  was  wrong  in  listening  to  the  pugilist,  in 
coming  here,  but  in  spite  of  appearances — Lou- 
part, believe  me,  I  am  still  worthy  of  you." 

Loupart  shrugged  his  shoulders. 


FANTOMAS  181 

"Well,  we'll  leave  that  for  the  moment.  Just 
now  you  are  going  to  obey  me  without  a  word 
or  protest." 

Josephine's  heart  stopped;  she  knew  these  pre- 
ambles. She  tried  to  turn  the  conversation. 

"And  how  did  you  get  here?" 

"How  did  you  get  here  yourself?" 

"M.  Dixon's  motor-car." 

"And  who  tracked  you?" 

"Why— no  one." 

"No  one?"  jeered  the  ruffian.  "Then  what 
was  Juve  doing  in  the  taxi  which  was  rolling 
after  you?" 

Josephine  uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise. 
Loupart  went  on,  greatly  satisfied  with  himself: 

"And  what  was  Loupart  up  to?  That  crafty 
gentleman  was  cosily  ensconced  on  the  springs  be- 
hind the  taxi  in  which  the  worthy  inspector  was 
riding." 

The  ruffian  was  teasing,  and  that  showed  he 
was  in  good  humour  again.  Josephine  put  her 
arms  round  his  neck  and  hugged  him. 

"It's  you  that  I  love  and  you  alone — let's  go, 
take  me  away,  won't  you?" 

Loupart  freed  himself  from  the  embrace. 

"Since  you  are  at  home  here — the  American 
said  as  much — I  must  see  to  profiting  by  it.  You 
will  stay  here  till  this  evening:  at  five  you  will  be 


1 82  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

at  the  markets,  and  so  shall  I.  You  won't  rec- 
ognise me,  but  I  shall  speak  to  you,  and  then 
you  will  tell  me  exactly  where  this  pugilist  locks 
up  his  swag.  I  want  a  full  plan  of  the  house,  the 
print  of  the  keys,  all  the  usual  truck.  This  eve- 
ning I  shall  have  something  new  for  Juve  and 
his  crew,  an  affair  in  which  you  will  serve  me." 

Josephine,  panting,  did  not  pay  heed  to  this 
last  sentence.  She  flushed  crimson,  perspiration 
broke  out  on  her  forehead,  a  great  agony  tight- 
ened her  heart.  She,  so  docile  till  then,  so  de- 
voted, suddenly  felt  an  immense  scruple,  an  awful 
shame  at  the  thought  of  being  guilty  of  what  her 
lover  demanded.  Against  any  other  man,  she 
would  have  obeyed,  but  to  act  in  that  way  to- 
ward Dixon,  who  had  treated  her  so  consider- 
ately, she  felt  was  beyond  her  powers.  Here  Jo- 
sephine showed  herself  truly  a  woman.  While 
determined  not  to  be  false  to  Loupart,  she  would 
not  leave  the  pugilist  with  an  evil  memory  of  her. 
She  hesitated  to  betray  him  and  unwittingly 
proved  the  truth  of  the  philosopher's  dictum: 
"The  most  honest  of  women,  though  unwilling 
to  give  hope,  is  never  sorry  to  leave  behind  her  a 
regret!" 

But  Loupart  was  not  going  to  stay  discussing 
such  subtleties  with  his  mistress.  He  never  gave 
his  orders  twice.  To  seal  the  reconciliation  he 


FANTOMAS  183 

imprinted  a  hasty  kiss  on  Josephine's  cheek  and 
vanished.  A  sound  of  crackling  marked  his  pas- 
sage through  the  thickets.  Josephine  was  once 
more  alone  in  the  great  park  around  the  villa. 

Fandor  and  Dixon  were  taking  tea  in  the 
drawing-room.  The  journalist  came,  he  alleged, 
to  interview  Dixon  about  his  fight  with  Joe  Sans, 
the  negro  champion  of  the  Soudan,  which  was  to 
come  off  next  day.  After  getting  various  details 
as  to  weight,  diet  and  other  trifles,  Fandor  in- 
quired with  a  smile : 

"But  to  keep  in  good  form,  Dixon,  you  must 
be  as  sober  as  a  camel,  as  chaste  as  a  monk,  eh?" 

The  American  smiled.  Fandor  had  told  him 
a  few  moments  before  that  he  had  seen  him  sup- 
ping at  the  "Crocodile"  with  a  pretty  woman. 

At  Juve's  instigation  Fandor  had  alleged  a 
sporting  interview,  in  order  to  get  into  the  Amer- 
ican's house  and  discover  if  Josephine  was  still 
there.  He  meant  to  ascertain  what  the  relations 
were  between  the  pugilist  and  the  girl. 

The  allusion  to  that  evening  loosened  the 
American's  tongue.  Absorbed  by  the  pleasing 
impression  which  his  pretty  partner  had  made  on 
him,  Dixon  began  talking  on  the  subject.  He 
belonged  to  that  class  of  men  who,  when  they  are 
in  love,  want  the  whole  world  to  know  it. 


1 84  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

The  American  set  the  young  woman  on  such 
a  pedestal  of  innocence  and  purity — that  Fandor 
wondered  if  the  pugilist  were  not  laughing  at  him. 
But  Dixon,  quite  unconscious,  did  not  conceal  his 
intention  to  elope  with  Josephine  and  shortly 
take  her  to  America.  Suddenly  he  rose. 

"Come,"  he  said,  "I  will  introduce  you  to 
her." 

Fandor  was  about  to  protest,  but  the  Amer- 
ican was  already  scouring  the  house  and  search- 
ing the  park,  calling: 

"Finette,  Mile.  Finette,  Josephine!" 

Presently  he  returned,  his  face  distorted,  un- 
nerved, dejected,  and  in  a  toneless  voice  he  ejacu- 
lated painfully: 

"The  pretty  little  woman  has  made  off  without 
a  word  to  me.  I  am  very  much  grieved!" 

Five  minutes  later,  Fandor  jumped  into  a  train 
which  took  him  back  to  Paris. 


"STATE'S  EVIDENCE" 

"Juve,  IVe  been  fooled."  The  journalist 
was  resting  on  the  great  couch  in  his  friend's 
study,  Rue  Bonaparte,  and  wound  up  with  this 
assertion  the  long  account  of  the  fruitless  inquiry 
he  had  made  at  Dixon's. 

"I'm  played  out!  For  two  days  I  haven't 
stopped  a  minute.  After  the  night  at  the  "Croco- 
dile," which  I  spent  for  the  most  part,  as  I  told 
you,  in  search  of  Loupart,  yesterday  my  day 
went  in  fruitless  trips ;  my  mind  is  made  up ;  to- 
night I  shall  do  no  more!" 

"A  cigarette,  Fandor?" 

"Thanks." 

From  the  crystal  vase  where  Juve,  an  invet- 
erate smoker,  always -kept  an  ample  stock  of  to- 
bacco, he  chose  an  Egyptian  cigarette. 

"My  dear  Juve,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
go  again  to  Sevres  and  draw  a  close  net  round 

18$ 


1 86  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

Dixon.  He  needs  watching.  Isn't  that  your 
opinion?" 

"I'm  not  sure." 

Juve  thought  for  a  few  moments,  then: 

"After  all,  what  grounds  have  you  for  think- 
ing that  Dixon  should  be  watched?" 

"Why,  any  number  of  reasons." 

"What  are  they?" 

It  was  Fandor's  turn  to  be  surprised.  He  had 
given  Juve  the  account  of  his  visit,  supposing  that 
would  bring  him  to  his  way  of  thinking,  and  now 
Juve  doubted  Dixon  being  a  suspect. 

"You  ask  me  for  particulars.  I  am  going  to 
reply  with  generalisations.  Taking  it  all  in  all, 
what  do  we  know  of  Dixon?  That  he  was  in  a 
certain  place  and  carried  off  Josephine  under  our 
very  eyes.  Hence  he  is  a  friend  of  Josephine's, 
which  in  itself  looks  compromising." 

"Oh!"  protested  Juve.  "You  arrive  at  your 
conclusions  very  quickly,  Fandor.  Josephine  is 
not  an  honest  woman.  She  may  know  the  type 
of  people  that  haunt  the  night  resorts,  yet  who, 
for  all  that,  need  not  be  murderers." 

"Then,  Juve,  how  do  you  account  for  it  that 
during  my  visit  Dixon  tricked  me  and  kept  me 
from  meeting  Josephine  while  making  believe  to 
look  for  her?  Is  not  that  again  a  sign  of  com- 
plicity? Does  not  that  show  clearly  that  Jo- 


FANTOMAS  187 

sephine,  realising  that  she  is  suspected  in  our 
eyes,  has  decided  to  evade  us?" 

Juve  smiled. 

"Fandor,  my  lad,  you  are  endowed  with  a  pro- 
digious imagination.  You  impute  to  Dixon  the 
worst  intentions  without  any  proof.  He  got  Jo- 
sephine away,  you  say?  What  makes  you  think 
so  ?  If  you  did  not  see  her  it  was  due  to  collusion 
between  them  both.  Why?  As  far  as  I  can  see, 
Josephine  simply  picked  up  an  old  lover  of  hers  at 
the  'Crocodile'  and  went  off  with  him  as  natu- 
rally as  possible,  preferring  not  to  see  the  arrest 
of  Loupart  or  of  Chaleck.  I  admit  that  next 
day  she  simply  took  French  leave  of  the  worthy 
American,  and  you  may  be  sure  he  knew  noth- 
ing about  her  going." 

Fandor  was  silent  and  Juve  resumed: 

"That  being  so,  what  can  we  bring  against 
Dixon  ?  Merely  that  he  knows  Josephine." 

"You  are  right,  Juve;  perhaps  I  went  too  far 
with  my  deductions,  but  to  speak  frankly,  I  don't 
see  clearly  what  we  are  to  do  now.  All  our 
trails  are  crossed.  Loupart  is  in  flight,  Chaleck 
vanished,  and  as  for  Josephine,  I  doubt  our  find- 
ing her  again  for  ever  so  long." 

All  the  while  the  journalist  was  speaking, 
Juve  had  remained  leaning  against  the  window, 
watching  the  passers-by. 


1 88  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Fandor,  come  and  see!  By  the  omnibus, 
there.  The  person  who  is  going  to  cross." 

The  journalist  burst  out: 

"Well,  I'm  damned!" 

"You  see,  Fandor,  you  must  never  swear  to 
anything." 

"Well,  ain't  we  going  to  catch  and  arrest 
her?" 

"Why?  Do  you  think  her  being  in  this  street 
is  due  to  chance?  Look,  she  is  crossing;  she  is 
coming  straight  here.  She  is  entering  the  house. 
I  tell  you  in  a  few  moments  Josephine  will  have 
climbed  my  stairs  and  will  be  seated  cosily  in  this 
armchair,  which  I  get  ready  and  set  full  in  the 
light." 

Fandor  could  not  get  over  his  astonishment. 

"Did  you  make  an  appointment  with  her?" 

"Not  at  all." 

Jean,  the  detective's  servant,  came  into  the 
room  and  announced: 

"There  is  a  lady  waiting  in  the  sitting-room. 
She  would  not  give  her  name." 

"Show  her  in,  Jean." 

A  few  moments  later  Josephine  entered. 

"Good  day,  Mademoiselle,"  cried  Juve  in  a 
cordial  tone.  "What  fresh  news  have  you  to  tell 
us?" 

Loupart's  mistress  stood  in  the  middle  of  the 


FANTOMAS  189 

room,  somewhat  taken  aback.  But  Juve  set  her 
at  ease. 

"Sit  down,  Josephine.  You  mustn't  mind  my 
friend  Fandor.  He  has  just  been  telling  me 
about  your  friend  Dixon." 

"You  know  him,  sir?" 

"A  little,"  said  Fandor.  "And  you,  Mademoi- 
selle, have  been  seeing  something  of  him  lately?" 

"I  happened  to  meet  him  at  the  'Crocodile.' ' 

"And  took  a  liking  to  him?" 

"We  took  a  liking  to  each  other."  She  turned 
to  Juve.  "I  suppose  you  distrust  me  for  giving 
you  the  slip  with  another  man?'r 

Juve  smiled.  "You  found  a  good  companion 
and  forgot  us.  There  is  really  nothing  to  be 
angry  about.  Now,  won't  you  tell  us  what  brings 
you  here?" 

"Yes,  but  M.  Juve,  you  must  swear  to  me  that 
you  will  never  repeat  what  I  am  going  to  tell 
you." 

"It  is  very  serious  then?" 

"M.  Juve,  I  am  going  to  put  you  in  the  way  of 
arresting  Loupart." 

"You  are  very  kind,  my  dear  Josephine,  but 
if  the  attempt  is  to  succeed  no  better  than  that 
we  made  at  the  'Crocodile' " 

"No,  no,  this  time  you'll  be  sure  to  nab  him. 
Day  after  to-morrow  at  2  o'clock,  Loupart  is 


i9o  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

going  with  some  of  his  gang  to  Nogent,  7  Rue 
des  Charmilles.  He  has  a  job  there  under  way." 

Juve  laughed.  "They've  been  fooling  you,  Jo- 
sephine. Isn't  that  your  view,  Fandor?  Do  you 
think  that  Loupart  would  try  a  stroke  in  broad 
daylight?" 

Josephine  gave  more  details,  eager  to  persuade 
him. 

"There  will  be  fifteen  of  them  outside  a  little 
house  whose  tenants  are  away.  Some  of  them 
will  make  a  crowd  to  help  their  mates  in  case  of 
danger.  The  Beard  is  to  be  in  it,  too." 

"And  Loupart?" 

"Yes,  Loupart,  I  tell  you.  He  will  wear  a 
black  mask  by  which  you  can  identify  him." 

"Very  well,  if  we  have  nothing  better  to  do 
we  will  take  a  trip  to  Nogent  day  after  to-mor- 
row; eh,  Fandor?" 

"As  you  like,  Juve." 

"Only,  remember  this,  my  dear  Josephine,  if 
you  are  putting  up  a  game  on  us  you'll  be  sorry 
for  it.  There  is  a  way,  to  be  sure,  in  which  you 
can  prove  your  good  faith.  Be  at  Nogent  Station 
at  half-past  one.  If  we  find  Loupart  where  you 
say  he  will  be,  we  shall  arrest  him;  if  we  don't 
find  him " 

The  detective  paused,   significantly. 

"You  will  nab  him.     Only  we  mustn't  look  as 


FANTOMAS  191 

if  we  met  by  appointment.  No  one  must  suspect 
that  I  gave  you  the  tip." 

Hereupon,  Josephine  started  to  go.  Her  ma- 
noeuvre had  succeeded,  and  Loupart's  business 
would  go  ahead  safely.  She  turned  at  the  door 
and  nodded,  looking  at  Fandor. 

"Another  thing;  Loupart  doesn't  love  you;  you 
had  better  be  on  your  guard." 

Juve  turned  thoughtfully  to  Fandor: 

"Strange!  Is  this  woman  playing  with  us,  or 
is  she  in  earnest,  and  how  she  looked  at  you 
when  telling  us  to  be  on  our  guard!" 


XXIV 

A  MYSTERIOUS  CLASP 

"Hullo!    Hullo!" 

Waking  with  a  start,  Juve  rushed  to  the  tele- 
phone. It  was  already  broad  daylight,  but  the 
detective  had  gone  to  bed  very  late  and  had  been 
sleeping  profoundly. 

"Yes,  it's  I,  Juve.  The  Surete?  It's  you,  M. 
Havard?  Yes,  I  am  free.  Oh!  That's  strange. 
No  signs?  I  understand.  Count  on  me.  I'll  go 
there  and  keep  you  informed." 

Juve  dressed  in  haste,  went  down  to  the  street 
and  hailed  a  taxi. 

"To  Sevres,  the  foot  of  the  hill  at  Bellevue, 
and  look  sharp  about  it!" 

Juve  left  his  taxi-cab,  and  mounted  the  slope 
on  foot  to  the  elegant  villa  inhabited  by  Dixon. 
All  was  quiet,  and  if  he  had  not  had  word,  the 
detective  would  have  doubted  that  he  was  close 

192 


FANTOMAS  193 

to  the  scene  of  a  crime,  or  at  least  of  an  at- 
tempted one. 

Scarcely  had  he  entered  the  grounds  when  a 
sergeant  came  toward  him  and  saluted.  Juve 
inquired: 

"What  has  happened?" 

"M.  Dixon  is  resting  just  now,  and  the  doctor 
has  forbidden  the  least  noise." 

"Is  his  condition   serious?" 

"I  think  not  from  what  Doctor  Plassin  says." 

"Now,  Sergeant,  tell  me  everything  from  the 
beginning." 

The  sergeant  drew  Juve  to  the  arbour,  where 
a  policeman  was  seated  making  out  a  report. 
Juve  took  the  paper  and  read: 

"We,  the  undersigned,  Dubois,  Sergeant  in  the  second 
squad  of  foot-police,  quartered  at  Sevres,  together  with 
Constable  Verdier,  received  this  morning,  June  28th,  at 
6.35  from  M.  Olivetti,  a  business  man,  living  in  Bellevue, 
the  following  declaration: 

"  'Having  left  my  home  at  6.15  and  being  on 
the  way  to  the  State  Railway  to  take  the  6.42 
train,  by  which  I  go  every  day  to  my  work,  I  was 
passing  the  slopes  of  .Bellevue,  when,  being  level 
with  Brimborion  Park,  a  little  short  of  the  villa 
number  16,  which  I  hear  belongs  to  M.  Dixon, 
an  American  pugilist,  I  heard  a  revolver  shot 


194  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

followed  by  the  noise  of  breaking  glass,  the 
pieces  falling  on  to  a  hard  ground,  most  likely 
stone. 

"  'Having  halted  for  a  moment  through  cau- 
tion, I  looked  to  see  if  anyone  was  hiding  near  by. 
I  saw  nothing  but  heard  three  more  revolver 
shots  in  quick  succession,  seeming  to  come  from 
Dixon's  house.  After  some  minutes  I  went  near 
the  house  and  ascertained  that  the  panes  of  the 
window  on  the  right  side  of  the  front  were 
broken,  and  the  pieces  strewed  the  asphalt  ter- 
race in  front  of  the  house. 

"  'I  made  up  my  mind  to  ring,  but  no  one 
opened  the  door.  I  then  thought  that  some 
prowlers  had  amused  themselves  by  making  a 
shindy,  and  I  was  about  to  continue  to  the  train 
when  I  thought  I  heard  faint  cries  coming  from 
the  inside  of  the  house.  Then,  fearing  there  was 
a  mishap  or  a  crime,  I  ran  to  the  police  station 
and  made  the  above  statement  in  presence  of  the 
sergeant.'  " 

Juve  turned  to  the  sergeant,  who  gave  further 
details. 

"Constable  Verdier  and  I  immediately  has- 
tened here.  We  reached  the  terrace  of  the 
house,  but  there  we  came  to  a  closed  door  we 
could  not  break  in.  Having  shouted  loudly  we 
were  answered  by  groans  and  cries  for  help 
which  came  from  the  room  on  the  first  floor  of 


FANTOMAS  195 

which  the  windows  were  broken.  We  then  got  a 
ladder  and  climbed  up.  I  passed  my  hand  inside 
and  worked  the  hasp  of  the  window.  We  went 
in  and  found  ourselves  in  a  bedroom  in  apple- 
pie  order  and  in  which  nothing  appeared  to  have 
been  disarranged. 

"And  on  a  second  inspection?"  queried  Juve. 

"I  went  to  the  far  end  of  the  room  and  found 
stretched  on  the  bed  a  man  in  undress,  who 
seemed  a  prey  to  violent  pains.  I  learned  after- 
wards that  this  was  M.  Dixon,  the  tenant  of  the 
house.  He  could  scarcely  utter  a  word  or  move. 
His  shoulders  and  arms  were  out  of  the  clothes, 
and  I  could  discern  that  the  skin  of  his  chest  and 
shoulders  bore  traces  of  blood  effusion.  On  a 
bracket  to  the  right  of  the  bed  lay  a  revolver,  the 
six  cartridges  of  which  had  been  recently  fired." 

"Ah!"  cried  Juve.     "And  then?" 

"I  thought  the  first  thing  to  do  was  to  call  in 
a  doctor.  M.  Olivetti  consented  to  go  and  call 
Doctor  Plassin,  who  lives  near  by.  Five  minutes 
later  the  doctor  came,  and  I  took  advantage  of 
his  presence  to  send  my  man  to  the  Station." 

"Have  you  been  over  the  house?" 

"Not  yet,  Inspector,  but  nothing  will  be  easier, 
for  in  turning  out  the  pockets  of  the  victim's 
clothes  we  found  his  bunch  of  keys." 

"To  bring  the  doctor  into  the  house,  you  must 


196  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

have  opened  the  door  to  him,  and  therefore  had 
a  glimpse  of  the  other  rooms  in  the  house,  the 
lobby,  the  staircase?" 

The  sergeant  shook  his  head. 

"No,  Inspector.  We  went  up  the  ladder.  I 
tried  to  get  out  of  the  door  of  M.  Dixon's  room, 
but  found  it  was  locked.  This  seemed  strange, 
for  the  assailant  presumably  entered  by  the  door." 

"By  the  by,  Sergeant,  are  there  no  servants 
here?  The  place  seems  deserted." 

Constable  Verdier  put  in  his  word: 

"The  American  lives  here  alone  except  for  an 
old  charwoman  who  comes  in  before  nine.  She 
will  probably  be  here  in  half  an  hour,  for  she 
can  have  no  idea  of  what  has  happened." 

"Good,"  said  Juve.  "You  will  let  me  know 
as  soon  as  she  comes ;  wait  for  her  in  the  garden. 
As  for  us,"  and  he  turned  to  the  sergeant,  "let 
us  make  our  way  inside." 

The  two,  armed  with  Dixon's  keys,  opened 
without  difficulty  the  main  entrance  door  to  the 
ground  floor.  There  they  found  nothing  out  of 
the  way,  but  on  reaching  the  first  floor,  the  marks 
of  some  one's  passage  was  clearly  visible. 

The  door  of  a  lumber  room  stood  wide  open, 
and  on  its  floor  sheets  of  paper,  letters  and  docu- 
ments lay  scattered  about.  Juve  took  a  candle 
and,  after  a  brief  investigation,  exclaimed: 


FANTOMAS  197 

"They  were  after  the  strong  box." 

A  large  steel  safe,  built  into  the  wall,  had 
been  burst  open,  and  the  workman-like  manner  in 
which  it  had  been  done  showed  clearly  the  hand 
of  an  expert.  Juve  carefully  examined  the  floor, 
picked  up  two  or  three  papers  that  had  evidently 
been  trodden  on,  took  some  measurements  which 
he  jotted  down  in  his  note-book,  and,  without  tell- 
ing the  sergeant  his  conclusions,  went  downstairs 
again,  paying  no  heed  to  the  next  room  in  which 
Dixon  lay,  watched  over  by  Doctor  Plassin. 

Verdier,  who  was  mounting  guard  before  the 
house,  came  forward  and  said: 

"Mr.  Inspector,  the  doctor  says  M.  Dixon  is 
awake.  Do  you  care  to  see  him?" 

Juve  at  once  had  the  ladder  put  to  the  first 
story  window  and  made  his  way  into  the  pugilist's 
room.  The  men's  description  was  correct.  No 
disorder  reigned  in  the  chamber,  at  the  far  end 
of  which,  on  a  great  brass  bed,  a  sturdy  individ- 
ual, his  face  worn  with  suffering,  lay  stretched. 

In  two  words  Juve  introduced  himself  to  the 
doctor;  then  expressed  his  sorrow  for  Dixon's 
plight 

"These  are  only  contusions,  M.  Juve.  Serious 
enough,  but  nothing  more.  By  the  by,  M.  Dixon 
may  congratulate  himself  upon  owning  muscles 
of  exceptional  vigour.  Otherwise,  from  the  grip 


198  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

he  must  have  undergone,  his  body  would  be  no 
more  than  a  shapeless  pulp." 

Juve  pricked  up  his  ears.  He  had  heard  be- 
fore of  bones  snapped  and  broken  under  a  strain 
that  neither  flesh  nor  muscle  could  resist.  The 
mysterious  death  of  Lady  Beltham  at  once  oc- 
curred to  his  memory. 

"Mr.  Dixon,  you  will  tell  me  all  the  details 
of  the  tragic  night  you  have  passed  through. 
You  probably  dined  in  Paris  last  evening?" 

The  sick  man  replied  in  a  fairly  firm  voice: 

"No,  sir,  I  dined  at  home  alone." 

"Is  that  your  usual  habit?" 

"No,  sir,  but  between  five  and  seven  I  had 
been  training  hard  for  my  match  which  was  to 
have  come  off  to-morrow  with  Joe  Sans." 

"Do  you  think  your  opponent  would  have  been 
capable  of  trying  to  injure  you  to  keep  you  out 
of  the  ring?" 

"No,  Joe  Sans  is  a  good  sportsman;  besides, 
he  lives  at  Brussels,  and  isn't  due  in  Paris  till 
to-morrow." 

"And  after  dinner,  what  did  you  do?" 

"I  fastened  the  shutters  and  doors,  came  up 
here  and  undressed." 

"Are  you  in  the  habit  of  bolting  yourself  into 
your  room?" 

"Yes,  I  lock  my  door  every  evening." 


FANTOMAS  199 

"What  time  was  it  when  you  went  to  bed?" 

"Ten  at  latest." 

"And  then?" 

"Then  I  went  fast  asleep,  but  in  the  middle  of 
the  night  I  was  waked  by  a  strange  noise.  It 
sounded  like  a  scratching  at  my  door.  I  gave  a 
shout  and  banged  my  fist  on  the  partition." 

"Why?"  asked  Juve,  surprised. 

The  American  explained: 

"I  thought  the  scratching  came  from  rats,  and 
I  simply  made  a  noise  to  frighten  them  away. 
Then,  the  sound  having  ceased,  I  fell  asleep 
again." 

"And  afterwards?" 

"I  was  waked  again  by  the  sound  of  stealthy 
footsteps  on  the  landing  of  the  first  floor." 

"This  time  you  went  to  see?" 

"I  meant  to  do  so,  I  was  about  to  get  up.  I 
had  put  out  my  arm  to  get  my  matches  and  re- 
volver, when  suddenly  I  felt  a  weight  on  my  bed 
and  then  I  was  corded,  bound  like  a  sausage,  my 
arms  tight  to  my  body!  For  ten  minutes  I 
struggled  with  all  the  power  of  my  muscles 
against  a  frightful  and  mysterious  grip  which 
continually  grew  tighter." 

"A  lasso!"  suggested  Doctor  Plassin  in  a  low 
voice. 

"Were  you  able  to  determine  the  nature  of 


200  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

the  thing  that  was  gripping  you?"  asked  Juve. 

"I  don't  know.  I  remember  feeling  at  the 
touch  of  the  thing  a  marked  sensation  of  damp- 
ness and  cold." 

"A  wetted  lasso,  exactly.  A  rope  dipped  in 
water  tautens  of  itself,"  remarked  the  doctor. 

"You  had  to  make  a  great  effort  to  prevent 
being  crushed  or  broken?" 

"A  more  than  human  effort,  Mr.  Inspector,  as 
the  doctor  has  witnessed;  if  I  had  not  mus- 
cles of  steel  and  exceptional  strength  I  should 
have  been  flattened." 

"Good — good,"  applauded  Juve.  "That's  ex- 
actly itl" 

"Really!  You  think  so?"  queried  the  Ameri- 
can with  a  touch  of  sarcasm. 

Juve  smilingly  apologised.  His  approval 
meant  no  more  than  that  the  statements  of  the 
victim  coincided  with  the  theories  he  had  formed. 
And  indeed  he  saw  clearly  in  the  unsuccessful  at- 
tempt on  the  American  and  the  achieved  killing 
of  Lady  Beltham  a  common  way  of  going  to 
work,  the  same  process.  Undoubtedly  the  Ameri- 
can owed  it  to  his  robust  physique  that  he  got  off 
but  slightly  scathed,  whereas  the  hapless  woman 
had  been  totally  crushed. 

The  similarity  of  the  two  crimes  allowed  Juve 
to  make  further  inductions.  He  reckoned  that  it 


FANTOMAS  201 

was  not  by  chance  that  Dlxon  had  met  Josephine 
at  the  "Crocodile"  two  nights  before,  while  the 
presence  of  both  Chaleck  and  Loupart  in  that 
establishment  was  still  less  accidental.  And  al- 
ready he  felt  pleased  at  the  thought  that  he 
knew  almost  to  a  certainty  the  villains  to  whom 
this  fresh  crime  must  be  ascribed.  They  had 
wanted  to  get  rid  of  Dixon,  that  was  sure,  and 
by  a  process  still  unknown  to  Juve,  but  which 
he  would  soon  discover.  They  had  rendered 
the  pugilist  helpless  while  they  were  robbing 
him. 

"Had  you  a  large  sum  of  money  in  your  safe?" 
he  asked. 

The  American  gave  a  violent  start. 

"They've  burgled  me!  Tell  me,  sir,  tell  me 
quickly!" 

Juve  nodded  in  the  affirmative.  Dixon  stam- 
mered feebly: 

"Four  thousand  pounds!  They've  taken  four 
thousand  pounds  from  me!  I  received  the  sum 
a  few  days  ago!" 

"Gently,  gently!"  observed  the  doctor.  "You 
will  make  yourself  feverish  and  I  shall  have  to 
stop  the  interview." 

Juve  put  in: 

"I  only  want  a  few  moments  more,  doctor.  It 
is  important."  Then,  turning  to  Dixon,  he  re- 


202  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

sumed:  "How  did  your  struggle  with  the  mys- 
terious pressure  end?" 

"After  about  ten  minutes  I  felt  my  bands  re- 
laxing. In  a  short  while  I  was  free;  I  heard  no 
more,  but  suffered  such  great  pain  that  I  fell  back 
in  bed  and  either  slept  or  fainted." 

"Then  you  did  not  get  up  at  all?" 

"No." 

"And  the  door  of  your  room  to  the  landing  re- 
mained locked  all  night?" 

"Yes,  all  night." 

"How  about  this  broken  glass  in  your  window? 
Those  revolver  shots  at  six  in  the  morning?" 

"It  was  I,  firing  from  my  bed  to  make  a  noise 
and  bring  some  one  here." 

"I  thought  as  much,"  said  Juve,  as  he  went 
down  on  all  fours  and  proceeded  to  examine  the 
carpeting  of  the  room  between  the  bed  and  the 
door,  a  distance  of  some  seven  feet.  The  carpet, 
of  very  close  fabric,  afforded  no  trace,  but  on  a 
white  bearskin  rug  the  detective  noted  in  places 
tufts  of  hair  glued  together  as  if  something  moist 
and  sticky  had  passed  over  it.  He  cut  off  one 
of  these  tufts  and  shut  it  carefully  in  his  pocket- 
book.  He  then  went  to  the  door  which  was  hid- 
den by  a  velvet  curtain.  He  could  not  suppress 
a  cry  of  amazement.  In  the  lower  panel  of  the 
door  a  round  hole  had  been  made  about  six  or 


FANTOMAS  203 

eight  inches  in  diameter.  It  was  four  inches 
above  the  floor,  and  might  have  been  made  for 
a  cat. 

"Did  you  have  that  hole  made  in  the  door?" 
asked  Juve. 

"No.  I  don't  know  what  it  is,"  replied  the 
American. 

"Neither  do  I,"  rejoined  Juve,  "but  I  have  an 
idea."  Doctor  Plassin  was  jubilant. 

"There  you  are!"  he  cried.  "A  lasso!  And 
it  was  thrust  in  by  that  hole." 

Through  the  window,  Verdier  called: 

"M.  Inspector,  the  charwoman  is  coming." 

Juve  looked  at  his  watch. 

"Half-past  nine.    I  will  see  her  in  a  minute." 


XXV 

THE   TRAP 

"Twelve  o'clock!  Hang  it!  I've  just  time 
to  get  there  to  keep  my  engagement  with  Jose- 
phine." 

Juve  was  going  down  Belleville  hill  as  fast  as 
his  legs  could  take  him  by  a  short  cut  past  the 
Sevres  school.  He  cast  a  mocking  glance  toward 
the  little  police  station  which  stands  smart  and 
trim  at  one  side  of  the  high  road. 

"Pity,"  he  murmured,  "that  I  can't  escort  my 
friends  to  that  delightful  country  house." 

Then  he  hastened  his  pace  still  more.  He  was 
growing  angry. 

"I  told  Fandor  to  be  at  Nogent  Station  exactly 
at  1.30.  It  is  now  five  past  twelve  and  I  am  still 
at  Sevres.  Matters  are  getting  complicated.  Oh, 
I'll  take  the  tramway  to  Versailles'  gate.  From 
there  I'll  drive  to  Nogent  Station  in  a  taxi." 

He  put  this  plan  into  execution,  and  was  lucky 
204 


FANTOMAS  205 

enough  to  find  a  place  in  the  Louvre- Versailles' 
tram. 

"All  things  considered,  I  have  not  wasted  my 
morning.  Poor  Dixon !  He  was  lucky  to  get  off 
so  cheaply.  It  would  seem  now  that  Josephine 
told  the  truth  in  saying  he  is  not  an  accomplice 
of  the  Gang." 

Juve  reflected  a  while,  then  added: 

"Only  it  looks  as  if  that  accursed  Josephine 
had  put  her  friends  up  to  the  job." 

At  the  St.  Cloud  gate  the  tram  came  to  a  stop 
and  Juve  got  down,  hailed  a  taxi,  and  told  the 
driver : 

"To  Nogent  Station  and  look  sharp.  I'm  in  a 
terrible  hurry." 

The  driver  nodded  assent,  Juve  got  in,  and 
the  vehicle  started.  The  taxi  had  hardly  been 
going  five  minutes  when  Juve  became  impatient. 

"Go  quicker,  my  man!  Don't  you  know  how 
to  drive?" 

The  man  replied,  nettled: 

"I  don't  want  to  get  run  in  for  breaking  the 
regulations." 

Juve  laughed. 

"Never  mind  the  regulations,  I'm  from  Police 
Headquarters." 

The  magical  word  took  effect.  From  that  mo- 
ment, heedless  of  the  frantic  signals  of  policemen, 


206  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

the  driver  tore  along  at  full  speed  and  reached 
the  square  in  front  of  Nogent  Station. 

"It  is  only  1.45 — Fandor  should  just  have  got 
here." 

Juve,  indeed,  had  only  just  settled  with  his 
driver  when  Fandor  popped  up  from  the  waiting- 
room. 

"Well,  Juve!     Anything  fresh  this  morning?" 

The  detective  smiled. 

"Any  number  of  things.  But  I'll  tell  you 
later.  Where  is  Josephine?" 

"Not  here  yet." 

"The  deuce!" 

"That  confirms  my  suspicions;  eh,  Juve?" 

"Somewhat.  I  should  be  astonished  if  we  did 
see  her." 

The  detective  led  the  journalist  away,  and  the 
two  went  for  a  turn  beside  the  railway-line  on 
the  deserted  boulevard. 

"Fandor,  this  is  the  time  to  draw  up  a  plan  of 
action.  Do  you  remember  the  directions  Jose- 
phine gave  us?" 

"Vaguely." 

"Well,  we  are  now  going  to  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Rue  des  Charmilles.  It  is  number  7 
that  Loupart  and  his  gang  are  to  loot,  according 
to  Josephine.  Yesterday  afternoon  I  sent  my 
men  to  look  at  the  street;  this  is  how  they  de- 


FANTOMAS  207 

scribed  it  to  me.  It  is  a  sort  of  lane  with  no 
issue;  the  house  which  we  are  concerned  with  is 
the  last,  standing  on  the  right.  It  is  a  lodge  of 
humble  aspect,  the  tenants  of  which  are  really 
away.  There  are  not  many  people  living  in  this 
Charmilles  Lane,  and  the  place  is  well  chosen  for 
such  a  job,  at  least  that  is  Michel's  opinion. 

"Oh,  I  forgot  one  thing,  round  the  house  is  a 
fairly  large  garden  of  which  the  walls  are  luck- 
ily high.  So  it  is  likely  that  even  if  the  burglars 
should  discover  our  presence  they  could  not  get 
off  the  back  way." 

"And  what  is  your  plan  of  action,  Juve?" 

"A  very  simple  one.  We  are  going  to  the 
entry  of  the  Rue  Charmilles  and  wait  there. 
When  our  men  come  up  with  us  I  shall  try  to 
pick  out  Loupart  and  fly  at  his  throat.  There 
will  be  a  struggle,  no  doubt,  but  in  the  meantime 
you  must  bellow  with  all  your  might:  'Murder' 
and  'Help.'  I  trust  that  succour  will  reach  us." 

"Then  you  haven't  any  plain-clothes  men 
here?" 

"No.  I  don't  want  to  let  my  superiors  know 
about  this  expedition." 

The  two  men  went  forward  some  paces  in  si- 
lence along  an  empty  side  street,  till  Juve  halted 
in  a  shady  corner  and  drew  out  his  Browning, 
carefully  seeing  to  the  magazine. 


208  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"Do  as  I  do,  Fandor";  he  prepared  for  a  tus- 
sle. "I  smell  powder  in  the  air." 

Juve  was  about  to  start  forward  again  when 
suddenly  a  tremendous  uproar  broke  out :  "Help ! 
Help!" 

Juve  seized  Fandor  by  the  arm. 

"Take  the  left-hand  pavement!" 

The  two  had  just  reached  the  corner  of  the 
street  where  the  house  spoken  of  by  Josephine 
should  stand,  when  a  jostling  crowd  of  people 
came  in  sight,  rushing  toward  them,  uttering 
shouts  and  yells.  Juve  and  Fandor  recognised 
a  man  fleeing  at  full  speed  in  front  of  them, 
whose  face  was  hidden  by  a  black  mask!  Behind 
him  two  other  men  were  running,  also  masked, 
but  with  grey  velvet.  In  the  crowd  following 
were  grocers'  assistants,  workmen  of  all  kinds, 
even  a  Nogent  policeman. 

"Help!     Murder!    Arrest  him!" 

The  fleeing  man  was  threatening  his  pursuers 
with  an  enormous  revolver. 

"Look  out!"  shouted  Juve.  "Loupart  is  mine! 
You  tackle  the  others!" 

But  suddenly  catching  sight  of  the  detective 
Loupart  slackened  his  pace. 

"Get  out  of  the  way!"  he  cried,  flourishing 
his  revolver. 

"Stop,  or  I  fire!"  returned  Juve. 


FANTOMAS  209 

"Fire  then!  I,  too,  shall  fire!"  And,  leaping 
toward  the  detective,  the  outlaw  pointed  his  re- 
volver at  him  and  fired  twice. 

With  a  quick  movement  Juve  leaped  aside. 
The  bullets  must  have  brushed  him,  but  luckily 
he  was  not  touched.  The  plucky  detective  again 
flung  himself  on  Loupart,  seized  him  by  the  col- 
lar and  tried  to  throw  him  down. 

"Let  me  go!     I'll  do  for  you " 

For  a  moment  Juve  felt  the  cold  muzzle  of 
the  weapon  on  his  neck.  Then,  with  a  supreme 
effort,  he  forced  the  outlaw's  hands  down  and, 
aiming  his  revolver,  fired. 

"Help!     I— I " 

A  gush  of  blood  welled  up  from  the  ruffian's 
collar.  He  turned  twice,  and  then  fell  heavily 
on  the  ground. 

In  the  meantime  Fandor  was  struggling  with 
the  two  men  in  the  grey  masks.  Juve  was  about 
to  go  to  his  assistance,  when  the  crowd  now 
made  a  rush  and  the  detective  became  the  central 
point  of  a  furious  encounter:  blows  and  kicks 
rained  on  him.  He  succumbed  to  numbers. 

It  was  now  Fandor's  turn  to  help  his  friend, 
and  he  was  about  to  join  the  fight  when  he  stood 
rooted  to  the  spot  in  utter  amazement  A  little 
beyond  the  groups  of  struggling  men  he  caught 
sight  of  an  individual  standing  beside  a  tripod 


210  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

on  which  was  placed  a  contrivance  he  did  not  at 
once  identify.  The  man  seemed  greatly  amused, 
and  was  watching  the  scene  laughing  and  show- 
ing no  desire  to  intervene. 

"Very  good!  Very  good!  That  will  make  a 
splendid  film!" 

Fandor  understood 

His  head  bandaged  and  his  arm  in  a  sling, 
Juve  was  replying  in  a  shaky  voice  to  the  Su- 
perintendent of  Police  of  Nogent. 

"No,  Superintendent,  I  realised  nothing.  It  is 
monstrous !  I  asked  in  the  most  perfect  good  faith. 
I  did  not  fire  till  I  had  been  fired  at  three  times." 

"You  didn't  notice  the  strange  get-up  of  the 
burglars?  And  of  the  policemen?  Of  that 
poor  actor,  Bonardin,  you  half  killed?" 

Juve  shook  his  head. 

"I  hadn't  time  to  notice  details.  I  want  you 
to  understand,  Superintendent,  how  things  came 
about,  to  realise  how  the  trap  was  laid  for  me.  .  .  . 
I  came  to  Nogent,  assured  that  I  was  about  to 
face  dangerous  ruffians.  I  was  to  encounter 
them  at  such  an  hour,  in  such  a  street.  I  was 
given  their  description:  they  would  have  their 
faces  masked  and  come  out  of  a  certain  house. 
And  it  all  happened  as  described.  I  hadn't  gone 
ten  paces  in  the  said  street  when  sure  enough  I 
saw  people  rushing  toward  me  bawling  'Help.' 


FANTOMAS  211 

I  recognised  men  in  masks:  had  I  time  to  look 
at  the  details  of  their  costumes?  Certainly  not! 
I  spring  at  the  throat  of  the  fugitive.  He  has  a 
revolver  and  fires.  How  could  I  know  the 
weapon  was  only  loaded  blank?  He,  an  actor  in 
a  cinematograph  scene,  takes  me  for  another,  act- 
ing the  part  of  a  policeman.  He  fires  at  me  and 
I  retaliate." 

"And  you  half  kill  him." 

"For  which  I  am  exceedingly  sorry.  But  noth- 
ing could  lead  me  to  suspect  a  trap." 

"It's  lucky  you  didn't  wound  anyone  else. 
How  did  matters  end?" 

"The  actors,  naturally  enough,  were  furious 
with  me,  and  I  was  being  roughly  handled  when 
the  real  policemen  arrived  and  rescued  me.  All 
was  explained  when  I  brought  out  my  card  of 
identity.  While  they  were  taking  me  to  the  sta- 
tion, the  actor  Bonardin  was  being  carried  to  the 
nearest  house,  a  convent,  I  believe." 

"Yes,  the  Convent  of  the  Ladies  of  St.  Clotilde." 

The  trap  had  been  well  devised,  and  Juve  was 
not  wrong  in  saying  that  anyone  in  his  place 
would  have  been  take'n  in  by  it.  And  so  while 
the  detective  was  detained  at  the  station,  Fandor, 
after  a  long  and  minute  interrogation,  returned 
to  Paris  in  a  state  of  deep  dejection. 


XXVI 

AT  THE   HOUSE   OF    BONARDIN,    THE   ACTOR 

In  the  Place  d'Anvers,  Fandor  was  passing 
Rokin  College.  He  heard  some  one  calling  him. 

"Monsieur  Fandor!     Monsieur  Fandor!" 

It  was  Josephine,  breathless  and  panting,  her 
bright  eyes  glowing  with  joy. 

Fandor  turned,  astonished. 

"What  is  up?" 

Josephine  paused  a  second,  then  taking  Fan- 
dor's  hand  familiarly  drew  him  into  the  square, 
which  at  this  time  of  day  was  almost  de- 
serted. 

"Oh,  it's  something  out  of  the  common,  I  can 
assure  you.  I  am  going  to  astonish  you!" 

"You've  done  that  already.  The  mere  sight 
of  you " 

"You  thought  I  was  arrested,  didn't  you?" 

Fandor  nodded. 

"Well,  it's  your  Juve  who  is  jugged!" 

212 


FANTOMAS  213 

Contrary  to  Josephine's  expectation,  Fandor 
did  not  appear  very  astonished. 

"Come  now,  Miss  Josephine,  that's  a  likely 
tale!  Juve  arrested?  On  what  grounds?" 

Josephine  began  an  incoherent  story. 

"I  tell  you  they  squabbled  like  rag-pickers! 
'You  make  justice  ridiculous,'  shouted  Fuselier. 
'No  one  has  the  right  to  commit  such  blunders !' 
Well,  they  kept  going  on  like  that  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour.  And  then  Fuselier  rang  and  two 
Municipal  guards  came  and  he  said:  'Arrest  that 
man  there!'  pointing  to  Juve.  And  your  friend 
the  detective  was  obliged  to  let  them  do  it. 
Only  as  he  left  the  room  he  gave  Fuselier  such  a 
look!  Believe  me,  between  those  two  it  is  war 
to  the  death  from  now." 

When  she  had  ended  Fandor  asked  in  a  calm 
voice : 

"And  how  did  you  get  away,  Josephine?" 

"Oh,  M.  Fuselier  was  very  nice.  'It's  you 
again?'  said  he  when  he  saw  me.  'To  be  sure  it 
is,'  answered  I,  'and  I'm  glad  to  meet  you  again, 
M.  Magistrate.'  Then  he  began  to  hold  forth 
about  the  cinema  business.  I  told  him  what  I 
knew  about  it,  what  I  told  you.  Loupart  stuffed 
me  up  with  his  tale  of  a  trap.  As  sure  as  my 
name's  Josephine  I  believed  what  my  lover  told 


me." 


2i4  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Fandor  gave  her  a  penetrating  glance. 

"And  how  about  the  Dixon  business?" 

Josephine  coloured,  and  said  in  a  low  tone: 

"Oh,  the  Dixon  business,  as  to  that — we  are 
very  good  pals,  Dixon  and  I.  Just  fancy,  I  went 
to  see  him  yesterday  afternoon.  He  has  taken  a 
fancy  to  me.  He  promised  to  keep  me  in  luxury. 
Ah,  if  I  dared,"  sighed  the  girl. 

"You  would  do  well  to  leave  Loupart." 

"Leave  Loupart?  Especially  now  that  Juve  is 
in  quod,  Loupart  will  be  the  King  of  Paris !" 

"Do  you  think  your  lover  will  attach  much 
weight  to  the  arrest  of  Juve?  Won't  he  fancy 
it's  a  put-up  job?" 

"A  put-up  job!  How  could  it  be?  Why,  I 
saw  with  my  two  eyes  Juve  led  away  with  the 
bracelets  on  his  wrists." 

The  growing  hubbub  of  the  newsboys  crying 
the  evening  papers  drew  near  the  Place  d'An- 
vers.  Instinctively  Fandor,  followed  by  Jose- 
phine, went  toward  them.  On  the  boulevard  he 
bought  a  paper. 

"There  you  see!"  cried  Josephine  triumphant- 
ly. "Here  it  is  in  print,  so  it  is  true!" 

In  scare  headlines  appeared  this  notice — 
"Amazing  development  in  the  affair  of  the  Out- 
laws of  La  Chapelle.  Detective  Juve  under  lock 
and  key." 


FANTOMAS  215 

Fandor,  when  he  met  Josephine  in  the  Place 
d'Anvers,  was  on  his  way  to  the  Rue  des  Abesses 
where  Bonardin  occupied  a  nice  little  suite  of 
three  rooms,  tastefully  decorated  and  comfortably 
furnished. 

The  actor  had  his  shoulder  in  plaster — Juve's 
bullet  had  broken  his  clavicle,  but  the  doctor  de- 
clared that  with  a  few  days'  rest  he  would  be 
quite  well  again. 

"M.  Fandor,  I  am  very  sorry  for  what  is  hap- 
pening to  M.  Juve.  Do  you  think  if  I  were  to 
declare  my  intention  not  to  proceed  against 
him " 

Fandor  cut  his  companion  short. 

"Let  justice  take  its  course,  M.  Bonardin. 
There  will  always  be  time  later  on." 

Although  M.  Bonardin  was  only  twenty-five, 
he  was  beginning  to  have  some  reputation.  By 
hard  work  he  had  come  rapidly  to  the  front,  and 
was  fast  gaining  a  position  among  the  best  inter- 
preters of  modern  comedy. 

"My  dream,"  he  exclaimed  to  Fandor,  "is  one 
day  to  attain  to  the  fame  of  my  masters,  of  such 
men  as  Tazzide,  Gemier,  Valgrand  and  Du- 
meny." 

"You  knew  Valgrand?"  asked  Fandor. 

Bonardin  smiled. 

"Why,  we  were  great  friends.     When  I  first 


216  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

made  my  appearance  at  the  theatre,  after  the 
Conservatoire,  Valgrand  was  my  model,  my  mas- 
ter. You  certainly  don't  recollect  it,  M.  Fandor, 
but  I  played  the  lover  in  the  famous  play  'La 
Toche  Sanglante,'  for  which  Valgrand  had  made 
himself  up  exactly  like  Gurn,  the  murderer  of 
Lord  Beltham.  You  must  have  heard  of  the 
case?" 

Fandor  pretended  to  tax  his  memory. 

"Why,  to  be  sure  I  do  recall  certain  incidents, 
but  won't  you  refresh  my  memory?" 

Bonardin  asked  no  better  than  to  chatter. 

"Valgrand,  on  the  first  night  of  his  presenta- 
tion of  Gurn,*  was  quite  worn  out  and  left  the 
theatre  very  late.  He  did  not  come  again!  For 
the  second  performance,  his  understudy  took  his 
part.  The  following  day  they  sent  to  Valgrand's 
rooms;  he  had  not  been  there  for  two  days.  The 
third  day  from  the  'first  night'  Valgrand  came 
among  us  again." 

"Pray  go  on,  you  interest  me  immensely  I" 

"Valgrand  came  back,  but  he  had  gone  mad. 
He  managed  to  get  to  his  dressing-room  after 
taking  the  wrong  door.  'I  don't  know  a  single 
word  of  my  part,'  he  confessed  to  me.  I  com- 
forted him  as  best  I  could,  but  he  flung  himself 
down  on  his  couch  and  shook  his  head  helplessly 

*  See  "Fantomas." 


FANTOMAS  217 

at  me.  'I  have  been  very  ill,  Bonardin,'  then 
suddenly  he  demanded:  'Where  is  Chariot?' 

"Chariot  was  his  dresser.  I  remembered  now 
that  Chariot  had  not  returned  to  the  theatre  since 
his  master's  disappearance.  His  body  was  found 
later  in  the  Rue  Messier.  He  ha'd  been  mur- 
dered. I  did  not  want  to  mention  this  to  him 
for  fear  it  might  upset  him  still  more,  so  I  ad- 
vised my  old  friend  to  wait  for  me  till  the  end 
of  the  play  and  let  me  keep  him  company.  I 
intended  to  take  him  home  and  fetch  a  doctor. 
Valgrand  assented  readily.  I  was  then  obliged 
to  leave  him  hurriedly:  they  were  calling  me — 
it  was  my  cue.  When  I  returned  Valgrand  had 
vanished:  he  had  left  the  theatre.  We  were  not 
to  see  him  again!" 

"A  sad  affair,"  commented  Fandor. 

Bonardin  continued  his  narrative: 

"Shortly  afterwards  in  a  deserted  house  in  the 
Rue  Messier,  near  Boulevard  Arago,  the  police 
found  the  body  of  a  murdered  man.  The  corpse 
was  easily  identified;  it  was  that  of  Chariot,  Val- 
grand's  dresser." 

"How  did  he  come  there?  The  house  had  no 
porter:  the  owner,  an  old  peasant,  knew  noth- 
ing." 

"Well,  what  do  you  conclude  from  this?" 
asked  Fandor. 


218  EXPLOITS    OF    JUVE 

"My  theory  is  that  Valgrand  murdered  his 
dresser,  for  some  reason  unknown  to  us.  Then, 
overcome  by  his  crime,  he  went  mad  and  com- 
mitted suicide.  Of  that  there  is  no  doubt." 

"Oh!"  muttered  Fandor,  a  little  taken  aback 
by  this  unexpected  assertion. 

The  journalist,  though  he  had  closely  followed 
the  actor's  account,  was  far  from  drawing  the 
same  conclusions.  For  in  fact,  Gurn,  Lord  Bel- 
tham's  murderer,  whom  Fandor  believed  to  be 
Fantomas,  had  certainly  got  Valgrand  executed 
in  his  stead.  The  Valgrand  who  came  back  to 
the  theatre,  three  days  after  the  execution,  was 
not  the  real  one,  but  the  man  who  had  taken  his 
place — Gurn,  the  criminal,  Gurn — Fantomas. 
Ah !  that  was  a  stroke  of  the  true  Fantomas  sort ! 
It  was  certain  that  if  Valgrand's  disappearance 
had  been  simultaneous  with  Gurn's  execution, 
there  might  have  been  suspicions.  Gurn — Fanto- 
mas then  found  it  necessary  to  show  Valgrand 
living  to  witnesses,  so  that  these  could  swear  that 
the  real  Valgrand  had  not  died  instead  of  Gurn. 

But  Valgrand  was  an  actor,  Gurn — Fantomas 
was  not!  Not  enough  of  one  at  least. to  venture 
to  take  the  place  on  the  boards  of  such  a  con- 
summate player,  such  a  famous  tragedian. 

"And  that  was  the  end?"  asked  Fandor. 

"The   end,   no!"   declared   the   actor.      "Val- 


FANTOMAS  219 

grand  was  married  and  had  a  son.  As  is  often 
the  case  with  artists,  the  Valgrand  marriage  was 
not  a  success,  and  madame,  a  singer  of  talent, 
was  separated  from  her  husband,  and  travelled 
much  abroad. 

"About  a  year  after  these  sad  occurrences  I 
had  a  visit  from  her.  On  her  way  through 
Paris,  she  had  come  to  draw  the  allowance  made 
her  by  her  husband,  to  supply  not  only  her  own 
wants,  but  also  those  of  her  son,  of  whom  she 
had  the  custody.  Mme.  Valgrand  chatted  with 
me  for  hours  together.  I  recounted  to  her  at 
length  what  I  have  had  the  honour  of  telling  you, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  that  she  gave  no  great  cre- 
dence to  my  words. 

"Not  that  she  threw  doubts  on  my  statements, 
but  she  kept  reiterating,  'That  is  not  like  him;  I 
know  Valgrand  would  never  have  behaved  in 
such  a  way!' 

"But  I  never  could  get  her  to  say  exactly  what 
she  thought.  Some  weeks  after  this  first  visit  I 
saw  her  again.  Matters  were  getting  compli- 
cated. There  was  no  certificate  of  her  husband's 
death.  Her  men  of  business  made  his  'absence'  a 
pretext:  she  no  longer  drew  a  cent  of  her  allow- 
ance, and  yet  people  knew  that  Valgrand  had  left 
a  pretty  large  amount,  and  it  was  in  the  bank  or 
with  a  lawyer,  I  forget  which.  You  are  aware, 


220  EXPLOITS    OF    JUVE 

M.  Fandor,  that  when  the  settling  of  accounts, 
or  questions  of  inheritance  or  wills,  come  to  the 
fore  there  is  no  end  to  them." 

"That's  a  fact,"  replied  Fandor. 

"We  must  believe,"  went  on  Bonardin,  "that 
the  matter  was  important  in  Mme.  Valgrand's 
eyes,  for  she  refused  fine  offers  from  abroad,  and 
planted  herself  in  Paris,  living  on  her  savings. 
The  good  woman  evidently  had  a  double  object, 
to  recover  the  inheritance  for  her  son,  little 
Rene,  and  also  to  get  at  the  truth  touching  her 
husband's  fate. 

"She  evidently  cherished  the  hope  that  her 
husband  was  not  guilty  of  the  dresser's  murder, 
that  perhaps  he  was  not  even  dead,  that  he  would 
get  over  his  madness  if  ever  they  managed  to  find 
him.  In  short,  M.  Fandor,  some  six  or  seven 
months  ago,  when  I  had  quite  ceased  to  think  of 
these  events,  I  found  myself  face  to  face  with 
Mme.  Valgrand  on  the  Boulevard.  I  had  some 
difficulty  in  recognising  her,  for  my  friend's 
widow  was  no  longer  dressed  like  the  Parisian 
smart  woman.  Her  hair  was  plastered  down 
and  drawn  tightly  back,  her  garments  were  plain 
and  humble,  her  dress  almost  neglected.  No 
doubt  the  poor  woman  had  experienced  cruel  dis- 
appointments. 

"  'Good  day,  Mme.  Valgrand,'  I  cried,  mov- 


FANTOMAS  221 

ing  toward  her  with  outstretched  hands.  She 
stopped  me  with  a  gesture. 

"  'Hush,'  she  breathed,  'there  is  no  Mme.  Val- 
grand  now.  I  am  a  companion.'  And  the  un- 
happy woman  explained  that  to  earn  her  living 
she  had  to  accept  an  inferior  position  as  reader 
and  housekeeper  to  a  rich  lady." 

"And  to  whom  did  Mme.  Valgrand  go  as  com- 
panion?" 

"To  an  Englishwoman,  I  believe,  but  the  name 
escapes  me." 

"Mme.  Valgrand  wished,  you  say,  that  her 
identity  should  remain  unkown?  Do  you  know 
what  name  she  took?" 

"Yes— Mme.   Raymond." 

Some  moments  later  Fandor  left  the  actor  and 
was  hastening  down  the  Rue  Lepic  as  fast  as  his 
legs  would  take  him. 


XXVII 

THE  MOTHER  SUPERIOR 

"The  Mother  Superior,  if  you  please?" 

The  door  shut  automatically  upon  Fandor. 
He  was  in  the  little  inner  court  of  the  small  con- 
vent, face  to  face  with  a  Sister,  who  gazed  in 
alarm  at  the  unexpected  guest.  The  journalist 
persisted: 

"Can  I  see  the  Mother  Superior?" 

"Well,  sir,  yes — no,  I  think  not." 

The  worthy  nun  evidently  did  not  know  what 
to  say.  Finally  making  up  her  mind  she  pointed 
to  a  passage,  and,  drawing  aside  to  let  the  jour- 
nalist pass,  said: 

"Be  good  enough  to  go  In  there  and  wait  a 
few  moments." 

Fandor  was  ushered  into  a  large,  plain  and 
austere  room — doubtless  the  parlour  of  the  com- 
munity. At  the  windows  hung  long,  white  cur- 
tains, while  before  the  half-dozen  armchairs  lay 

222 


FANTOMAS  223 

tiny  rugs  of  matting;  the  floor,  very  waxed,  was 
slippery  to  the  tread.  The  journalist  regarded 
curiously  the  walls  upon  which  were  hung  here 
and  there  religious  figures  or  chromos  of  an  edi- 
fying kind.  Above  the  chimney  hung  a  great 
crucifix  of  ebony.  But  for  the  noise  from  with- 
out, the  passing  of  the  trains  and  motors,  and 
were  it  not  also  for  the  fine  savour  of  cooking 
and  roast  onions,  one  might  have  thought  one- 
self a  hundred  leagues  from  the  world  in  the  peace- 
ful calm  of  this  little  convent. 

Fandor,  on  leaving  Bonardin,  had  decided  to 
fulfill  without  delay  a  pious  mission  given  him  by 
Juve's  victim. 

Taken  in  at  the  time  of  his  accident  by  the 
Sisters  of  the  Rue  Charmille,  Bonardin  had  re- 
ceived from  them  the  first  aid  his  condition  re- 
quired, and  as  he  had  left  them  without  a  word 
of  thanks,  he  had  begged  Fandor  to  return  and 
hand  them  on  his  behalf  a  fifty-franc  bill  for 
their  poor. 

After  some  minutes  the  door  opened  and  a  nun 
appeared.  She  greeted  Fandor  with  a  slight 
movement  of  the  head;  while  the  journalist  bowed 
deferentially  before  her. 

"Have  I  the  honour  of  speaking  to  the  Mother 
Superior?" 

"Our  Mother  sends  her  excuses,"  murmured 


224  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

the  nun,  "for  not  being  able  to  receive  you  at 
this  moment.  However,  I  can  take  her  place,  sir. 
I  am  in  charge  of  the  finances  of  the  house." 

"I  bring  you  news,  Sister." 

The  nun  clasped  her  hands. 

"Good  news,  I  hope !  How  is  the  poor  young 
man  doing?" 

"As  well  as  can  be  expected;  the  ball  was  ex- 
tracted without  trouble  by  the  doctors." 

"I  shall  thank  St.  Comus,  the  patron  saint  of 
surgeons.  And  his  assailant?  Surely  he  will  be 
well  punished?" 

Fandor  smiled. 

"His  assailant  was  the  victim  of  a  terrible  mis- 
conception. He  is  a  most  upright  man." 

"Then  I  will  pray  to  St.  Yves,  the  patron  saint 
of  advocates,  to  get  him  out  of  his  difficulty." 

"Well,"  cried  Fandor,  "since  you  have  so  many 
saints  at  command,  Sister,  you  would  do  well  to 
point  out  to  me  one  who  might  favour  the  efforts 
of  the  police  in  their  struggle  with  the  ruffians." 

The  nun  was  a  woman  of  sense  who  under- 
stood a  joke.  She  rejoined:  "You  might  try  St. 
George,  sir,  the  patron  saint  of  warriors."  Then 
becoming  serious  again,  the  Sister  made  an  end 
of  the  interview.  "Our  Mother  Superior  will  be 
much  touched,  sir,  when  I  report  the  kind  step  you 
have  taken  in  coming  here  to  us." 


FANTOMAS  225 

"Allow  me,  Sister,"  broke  in  Fandor,  "my  mis- 
sion is  not  over  yet." 

Here  the  journalist  discreetly  proffered  the 
note. 

"This  is  from  M.  Bonardin,  for  your  poor." 

The  nun  was  profuse  in  her  thanks,  and  look- 
ing at  Fandor  with  a  touch  of  malice : 

"You  may  perhaps  smile,  sir,  if  I  say  I  shall 
thank  St.  Martin,  the  patron  saint  of  the  char- 
itable. In  any  case  I  shall  do  it  with  my  whole 
heart." 

The  soft  sound  of  a  bell  came  from  the  dis- 
tance ;  the  Sister  instinctively  turned  her  head  and 
looked  through  the  windows  at  the  inner  cloister 
of  the  convent. 

"The  bell  calls  you,  no  doubt,  Sister?"  he  in- 
quired. 

"It  is,  indeed,  the  hour  of  Vespers." 

Fandor,  followed  by  the  Sister,  left  the  par- 
lour and  reached  the  outer  gate.  Already  the 
porter  was  about  to  open  it  for  him  when  he 
pulled  up  short.  Moving  at  a  measured  pace, 
one  behind  the  other,  the  ladies  of  the  community 
crossed  the  courtyard,  going  toward  the  chapel 
at  the  far  end  of  the  garden. 

"Sister,"  Fandor  inquired  anxiously,  "who  is 
that  nun  who  walks  at  the  head?" 

"That  is  our  holy  Mother  Superior." 


226  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

Fandor  was  lucky  enough  to  find  a  taxi  as  he 
left  the  little  convent,  into  which  he  jumped:  he 
was  immersed  in  such  deep  reflections  that  when 
the  taxi  stopped  he  was  quite  surprised  to  find 
himself  in  Rue  Bonaparte,  when  he  had  meant 
to  go  up  to  Bonardin's  and  expected  to  reach 
Montmarte. 

"Where  did  I  tell  you  to  go?"  he  asked  the 
driver. 

The  man  looked  at  his  fare  in  amazement: 

"To  the  address  you  gave  me,  I  suppose." 

Fandor  did  not  reply,  but  paid  his  fare. 

"Heaven  inspires  me,"  he  thought.  "To  be 
sure  I  wanted  to  see  Bonardin  to  tell  him  I  had 
done  his  commission,  but  it  was  to  prove  I  should 
have  gone  after  what  I  found  out  at  the  con- 
vent." 

The  journalist  remained  motionless  on  the 
pavement  without  seeming  to  feel  the  jostling 
of  the  passers-by.  He  stood  there  with  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  ground,  his  mind  lost  in  a  dream. 
He  had  unconsciously  gone  back  several  years, 
to  his  mysterious  childhood,  stormy  and  restless. 
He  went  over  again  in  thought,  this  last  affair, 
which  had  once  more  brought  him  so  intimately 
into  Juve's  life:  the  abominable  crime  in  the  Cite 
Frochot,  in  which  Chaleck  and  Loupart  were  in- 
volved, and  behind  them  Fantomas — the  crime  of 


FANTOMAS  227 

which  the  victim — as  Juve  had  clearly  established 
— was  no  other  than  Lady 

He  quickly  entered  the  house  and  rushed  up 
the  stairs,  but  halted  on  the  landing. 

"What  have  I  come  here  for?  If  I  am  to 
believe  the  papers,  Juve  is  under  lock  and  key: 
It  must  be  instinct  that  guides  me.  I  feel  that  I 
am  going  to  see  Juve:  besides,  I  must." 

He  did  not  ring,  for  he  enjoyed  the  unique 
favour  of  a  key  which  allowed  him  to  enter 
Juve's  place  at  will.  He  entered  and  went 
straight  to  the  study:  it  was  empty.  He  then 
cried  out: 

"Juve!  Many  things  have  happened  since  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you !  Be  good  enough 
to  let  me  into  your  office.  I  have  two  words  to 
say  to  you." 

But  Fandor's  words  fell  dead  in  the  silence 
of  the  apartment  After  this  summons  he  made 
his  way  into  the  office,  and  ensconced  himself  in 
an  armchair:  clearly  Fandor  was  assured  his 
friend  had  heard  him.  And  he  was  not  wrong! 
Two  seconds  later,  lifting  a  curtain  that  hid  a 
secret  entrance  to  the  study,  Juve  appeared. 

"You  speak  as  if  you  knew  I  was  here!" 

The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  and  burst 
into  shouts  of  laughter. 

"So  you  understood  it  was  all  a  put-up  affair 


228  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

intended  to  make  our  opponents  believe  that  for 
a  time  I  was  powerless  to  hurt  them.  What  do 
you  think  of  my  notion?" 

"First  rate,"  replied  Fandor.  "The  more 
so  that  the  fair  Josephine  'saw  with  her  own 
eyes'  some  of  the  force  taking  you  off  to 
prison." 

"Everybody  believe  it,  don't  they?" 

"Everybody." 

"Look  here.  You  spoke  just  now  as  though 
you  knew  I  was  here?" 

Fandor  smiled. 

"The  odour  of  hot  smoke  is  easily  distin- 
guished from  the  dankness  of  cold  tobacco." 

Juve  approved. 

"Well  done,  Fandor.  Here,  for  your  pains, 
roll  a  cigarette  and  let's  talk.  Have  you  any- 
thing fresh?" 

"Yes — and  a  lot,  tool" 

Fandor  related  the  talk  he  had  had  with  Bo- 
nardin  touching  Valgrand,  the  actor,  and  Mme. 
Valgrand,  alias — Mme.  Raymond. 

Juve  uttered  his  reflections  aloud. 

"This  is  one  riddle  the  more  to  solve.  I  still 
adhere  to  the  theory  that  Josephine,  some  months 
ago,  was  brought  into  intimate  relations  with 
Lady  Beltham,  whose  body  I  discovered  at  Cite 
Frochot  and  later  identified." 


FANTOMAS  229 

Fandor  sprang  up  and  placed  both  of  his 
hands  upon  Juve's  shoulders. 

"Lady  Beltham  is  not  dead:  She  is  alive!  As 
surely  as  my  name's  Fandor,  the  Superior  of  the 
Convent  at  Nogent  is — Lady  Beltham." 


XXVIII 

AN   OLD   PARALYTIC 

At  the  far  end  of  the  Rue  de  Rome  Fandor 
halted.  "After  all,"  he  thought,  "maybe  I  am 
going  straight  into  a  trap.  Who  sent  me  the  let- 
ter? Who  is  this  M.  Mahon?  I  never  heard 
of  him.  Why  this  menacing  phrase,  'Come,  if 
you  take  any  interest  in  the  affairs  of  Lady 

B and  F .'     Oh,  if  only  I  could  take 

counsel  of  Juve!" 

But  for  the  last  fortnight,  since  the  ill-starred 
affair  of  Nogent  and  the  almost  incredible  dis- 
covery he  had  made  that  Lady  Beltham  was  still 
alive,  Fandor  had  not  seen  Juve.  He  had  been 
to  the  Surete  a  number  of  times,  but  Juve  had 
vanished. 

Fandor  stopped  before  a  private  house  on 
the  Boulevard  Pereire  North.  He  passed  in 
through  the  outer  hall  and  reached  the  porter's 
lodge. 

230 


FANTOMAS  231 

"Madame,  have  you  a  tenant  here  named  Ma- 
hon?" 

The  porteress  came  forward. 

"M.  Mahon?  To  be  sure — fifth  floor  on  the 
right" 

"Thank  you.  I  should  like  to  ask  a  few  ques- 
tions about  him.  I  have  come — to  negotiate  an 
insurance  policy  for  him  and  I  should  like  to 
know  about  the  value  of  the  furniture  in  his 
rooms.  What  sort  of  a  man  is  this  M.  Mahon? 
About  how  old  is  he?" 

Fandor  had,  by  pure  professional  instinct, 
found  the  best  device  in  the  world.  There  is 
not  a  porteress  who  has  not  many  times  enlight- 
ened insurance  agents. 

"Why,  sir,  M.  Mahon  has  lived  here  only  a 
month  or  six  weeks.  He  can  scarcely  be  very 
well  off,  for  when  he  moved  in  I  did  not  see  any 
fine  furniture  go  up.  I  believe  for  that  matter 
he  is  an  old  cavalry  officer,  and,  in  the  army 
nowadays,  folks  scarcely  make  fortunes." 

"That's  true  enough,"  assented  Fandor. 

"Anyhow  he  is  a  very  charming  man,  an  ideal 
lodger.  To  begin  with,  he  is  infirm,  almost 
paralysed  in  both  legs.  I  believe  he  never  goes 
out  of  an  evening.  And  then  he  never  has  any 
visitors  except  two  young  fellows  who  are  serv- 
ing their  time  in  the  army." 


232  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"Are  they  with  him  now?" 

"No,  sir,  they  never  come  till  three  or  four  in 
the  afternoon." 

Fandor  slipped  a  coin  into  the  woman's  hand 
and  went  upstairs.  He  rang  at  the  door  and 
was  surprised  at  a  strange,  soft  rolling  sound. 

"Oh,  I  know,"  he  thought;  "the  poor  man 
must  move  about  his  rooms  in  a  rubber-tired 
wheel  chair." 

He  was  not  mistaken.  Scarcely  was  the  door 
opened  when  he  caught  sight  of  an  old  man  of 
much  distinction  seated  in  a  wheel  chair.  This 
invalid  greeted  the  journalist  pleasantly. 

"M.  Fandor?" 

"The  same,  sir." 

M.  Mahon  pushed  forward  his  chair  and  mo- 
tioned to  his  visitor  to  come  in. 

Fandor  entered  a  room  in  which  the  curtains 
were  closely  drawn  and  which  was  brilliantly  il- 
luminated with  electric  lights,  although  it  was 
the  midcfle  of  the  afternoon.  Was  it  a  trap? 
The  journalist  instinctively  hesitated  in  the  door- 
way. But  behind  him  a  cordial  voice  called: 

"Come  in,  you  all  kinds  of  an  idiot!" 

The  door  clicked  behind  him  and  the  invalid, 
getting  out  of  his  chair,  burst  into  a  fit  of  laugh- 
ter. 

"Juve!     Juve!" 


FANTOMAS  233 

"As  you  see!" 

"Bah,  what  farce  are  you  playing  here?  Why 
this  lit-up  room?" 

"All  for  very  good  reasons.  If  you  will  be 
kind  enough  to  take  a  seat,  I  will  explain." 

Fandor  dropped  into  a  chair  staring  at  Juve, 
who  continued: 

"When  you  came  back  the  other  day  and  told 
me  that  unlikely  yarn  about  Lady  Beltham  be- 
ing alive,  I  decided  to  try  new  methods.  First 
of  all,  I  became  a  cavalry  officer,  then  I  got  this 
wheel  chair  and  moved  into  this  apartment." 

As  Juve  paused,  Fandor,  more  and  more 
amazed,  inquired: 

"But  your  reason  for  all  this !" 

"Just  wait!  The  day  after  the  Dixon  busi- 
ness, I  put  three  of  my  best  men  on  the  track  of 
the  American.  I  had  a  notion  he  would  want  to 
see  Josephine  again,  and  I  was  not  mistaken. 
She  came  back  to  justify  herself  in  his  eyes.  The 
story  ended  as  might  have  been  foreseen.  Mi- 
chel, who  brought  me  the  news,  said  that  Jose- 
phine had  agreed  to  become  Dixon's  mistress." 

"The  deuce!" 

"Oh,  there  is  nothing  to  be  surprised  at  that. 
Michel  made  arrangements  to  learn  all  the  de- 
tails. Josephine  is  to  live  at  33  C  in  Boulevard 
Pereire  South ;  that  is,  to  the  right  of  the  railway 


234  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

line,  fourth  floor.  Here  we  are  at  24  B  Boule- 
vard Pereire  North,  to  left  of  the  railway,  fifth 
floor,  and  just  opposite." 

"And  what  does  this  old  M.  Mahon  do, 
Juve?" 

Juve  smiled. 

"You  are  going  to  see,  my  lad." 

He  settled  himself  again  in  the  wheel  chair, 
drew  a  heavy  rug  over  his  knees  and  became  once 
more  the  old  invalid. 

"My  dear  friend,  will  you  open  the  door  for 
me?" 

Fandor  laughingly  complied,  and  Juve  wheeled 
himself  into  another  room. 

"You  see  I  have  plenty  of  air  here  thanks  to 
this  balcony  upon  which  I  can  wheel  my  chair. 
Would  you  be  good  enough  to  pass  me  that  spy- 
glass?" 

Juve  pointed  the  glass  toward  the  far  end 
of  Boulevard  Pereire,  in  the  direction  of  Poste 
Maillot. 

"Mile.  Josephine  has  lately  had  a  craze  for 
keeping  her  nails  polished." 

"But  you  are  not  looking  toward  the  house 
opposite,  you  are  looking  in  a  contrary  direc- 
tion!" 

Juve  laid  his  spy-glass  on  his  knees  and 
laughed. 


FANTOMAS  235 

"I  expected  you  to  make  that  remark.  See, 
those  glasses  at  the  end  are  only  for  show,  in- 
side is  a  whole  system  of  prisms.  With  this 
perspective  you  see  not  in  front  of  you,  but  on 
one  side.  In  other  words,  when  I  point  it  at  the 
far  end  of  the  boulevard,  what  I  am  really  look- 
ing at  is  the  house  opposite." 

Fandor  was  about  to  congratulate  his  friend 
on  this  new  specimen  of  his  ingenuity,  but  Juve 
did  not  give  him  time.  He  startled  the  journal- 
ist by  suddenly  asking  him: 

"Tell  me,  do  you  love  the  army?" 

"Why?" 

"Because  I  think  those  two  soldiers  you  see 
over  there  are  coming." 

"To  see  you,"  added  Fandor. 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"From  your  porteress." 

"You  pumped  her?" 

"I  did.  I  got  her  to  talk  a  bit  about  that  ex- 
cellent M.  Mahon." 

Juve  laughed: 

"Confound  you  1" 

With  a  quick  movement  Fandor,  at  the  detec- 
tive's request,  drew  back  the  wheel  chair  and  shut 
the  window. 

"You  understand,"  explained  Juve,  "there  is 
nothing  to  surprise  my  neighbours  in  my  having 


236  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

two  soldiers  to  visit  me.  But  I  don't  care  for 
third  persons  to  hear  what  they  say  to  me." 
There  was  a  ring  at  the  apartment  door.  "Go 
and  open,  Fandor.  I  don't  leave  my  cripple's  chair 
for  them;  people  can  see  through  the  curtains." 

Shown  in  by  Fandor,  the  soldiers  shook  hands 
with  Juve  and  took  seats  opposite  him. 

"Do  you  recognise  Michel  and  Leon?" 

"Oh,  perfectly!"  cried  Fandor,  "but  why  this 
disguise?" 

"Because  no  heed  is  paid  to  uniforms,  there 
are  soldiers  everywhere,  and  also  it  is  not  easy 
to  recognise  a  civilian  suddenly  appearing  in  uni- 
form. What  is  fresh,  Michel?" 

"Something  pretty  serious,  sir.  According  to 
your  instructions  we  have  been  shadowing  the 
Superior  of  the  Nogent  Convent." 

"Well,  what  have  you  discovered?" 

"Every  Tuesday  evening  the  Superior  leaves 
Nogent  and  goes  to  Paris." 

"Where?" 

"To  one  of  the  branches  of  her  religious  house 
in  the  Boulevard  Jourdan." 

"No.  1 80?" 

Michel  was  dumbfounded. 

"Yes,  sir,  you  knew?" 

"No,"  said  Juve,  coldly.  "What  does  she  do 
at  this  branch?" 


FANTOMAS  237 

"There  are  four  or  five  old  nuns  there.  The 
Superior  spends  Tuesday  night  there  and  on 
Wednesday  goes  back  to  Nogent  about  one  in 
the  afternoon." 

"And  you  know  no  more  than  that?" 

"No,  sir.  Must  we  go  on  with  the  shadow- 
ing?" 

"No,  it  is  not  worth  while.  Return  to  the 
Prefecture  and  report  to  M.  Havard." 

When  the  two  men  had  left,  Fandor  turned  to 
Juve. 

"What  do  you  make  of  it?" 

Juve  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Michel  is  an  idiot.  That  house  has  two  ex- 
its; one  to  the  Boulevard,  the  other  to  waste 
ground  that  leads  to  the  fortifications.  The  Su- 
perior, or  Lady  Beltham,  goes  there  to  change 
her  dress,  and  then  hastens  to  some  prearranged 
meeting  elsewhere.  The  house  at  Neuilly  will 
bear  watching. 


XXIX 

THROUGH   THE   WINDOW 

"What  a  splendid  fellow!  One  can  count  on 
him  at  any  time.  A  friendship  like  his  is  rare 
and  precious." 

Fandor  had  just  left  Juve,  and  the  detective 
could  not  help  being  strangely  moved  as  he 
thought  of  the  devotion  shown  him  by  the  jour- 
nalist. 

The  detective  was  still  in  his  wheel  chair;  with 
a  skilful  turn  he  went  back  to  the  balcony  and 
his  post  of  observation. 

Evening  was  coming  on.  After  a  fine  day  the 
sky  had  become  leaden  and  overcast  with  great 
clouds:  a  storm  was  threatening.  Juve  swore. 

"I  shan't  see  much  this  evening;  this  confound- 
ed Josephine  is  so  sentimental  that  she  loves 
dreaming  in  the  gloaming  at  her  window  without 
lighting  up.  Devil  take  her!" 

Juve  had  armed  himself  with  his  spy-glass; 
238 


FANTOMAS  239 

he  apparently  levelled  it  at  Porte  Maillot,  and 
in  that  way  he  could  see  something  of  the  move- 
ments of  Josephine  in  the  rooms  opposite  him. 

"Flowers  on  the  chimney  and  on  the  piano! 
Expecting  her  lover  probably!" 

Suddenly  he  started  up  in  his  chair. 

"Ah!  some  one  has  rung  her  bell.  She  is  go- 
ing toward  the  entrance  door." 

A  minute  passed;  in  the  front  rooms  Juve  no 
longer  saw  anyone.  Josephine  must  be  receiving 
a  visitor. 

"Some  minutes  more  went  by;  a  heavy  shower 
of  rain  came  down  and  Juve  was  forced  to  leave 
his  balcony. 

When  he  resumed  his  watching  he  could  not 
suppress  an  exclamation  of  surprise. 

"Ah,  if  he  would  only  turn !  This  cursed  rafin 
prevents  me  from  seeing  clearly  what  is  afoot. 
The  brute !  Why  won't  he  turn !  There,  he  has 
laid  his  bag  on  a  chair,  his  initials  must  be  on 
it,  but  I  can't  read  them.  Yet  the  height  of 
the  man!  His  gestures!  It's  he,  sure  enough, 
it's  Chaleck!" 

Juve  suddenly  abandoned  his  post  of  observa- 
tion, propelled  his  chair  to  the  back  room  of  the 
suite  and  seized  the  telephone  apparatus. 

"Hello!  Give  me  the  Prefecture.  It  is  Juve 
speaking.  Send  at  once  detectives  Leon  and  Mi- 


24o  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

chel  to  No.  33  C  Boulevard  Pereire  South.  They 
are  to  wait  at  the  door  of  the  house  and  arrest 
as  they  come  out  the  persons  I  marked  as  num- 
bers 14  and  15.  Let  them  make  haste." 

"Assuredly  Chaleck  won't  leave  at  once  if  he 
has  come  to  see  Josephine;  no  doubt  he  has  im- 
portant things  to  say.  Leon  and  Michel  will  ar- 
rive in  time  to  nab  him  first  and  Josephine  after. 
And  to-morrow,  when  I  have  them  handcuffed  be- 
fore me,  it's  the  deuce  if  I  don't  manage  to  get 
the  truth  out  of  them." 

Juve  went  back  to  his  look-out. 

"Oh,  they  seem  very  lively,  both  of  them;  the 
talk  must  be  serious.  Josephine  doesn't  look 
pleased.  She  seems  to  disagree  with  what  Cha- 
leck is  saying.  One  would  think  he  was  giving 
her  orders.  No!  she  is  down  on  her  knees.  A 
declaration  of  love!  After  Loupart  and  Dixon 
it's  that  infernal  doctor's  turn!" 

Juve  watched  for  a  moment  longer  the  young 
woman  and  the  mysterious  and  elusive  Chaleck. 

"Ah!  that's  what  I  feared!  Chaleck  is  going 
and  Leon  and  Michel  haven't  come!" 

Juve  hesitated.  Should  he  go  down,  rush  to 
the  Boulevard  and  try  to  collar  the  ruffian?  That 
wasn't  possible.  Juve  lived  on  the  fifth  floor,  so 
that  he  had  one  more  story  to  get  down  than 
Chaleck,  then  there  was  the  railway  line  between 


FANTOMAS  241 

him  and  Josephine's  house.  Chaleck  would  have 
ample  time  to  disappear.  But  Juve  reassured 
himself. 

"Luckily  he  has  left  his  hold-all,  and  if  I  mis- 
take not,  that  is  his  stick  on  the  chair.  There- 
fore he  expects  to  come  back." 

Powerless  to  act,  Juve  witnessed  the  exit  of 
Chaleck,  who  soon  appeared  at  the  door  of  Jo- 
sephine's house  and  went  striding  off.  Juve  fol- 
lowed him  with  his  eyes,  intensely  chagrined. 
Would  he  ever  again  find  such  a  good  oppor- 
tunity of  laying  hands  on  the  ruffian? 

Chaleck  vanished  round  the  corner  of  the 
street,  and  Juve  again  took  to  watching  Jose- 
phine! The  young  woman  did  not  appear  to  be 
upset  by  her  late  visitor.  She  sat,  her  elbows 
on  the  table,  turning  with  a  listless  finger  the 
pages  of  a  volume. 

"Clearly  he  is  coming  back,"  thought  Juve, 
"or  he  would  not  have  left  his  things  there.  I 
shall  nab  him  in  a  few  days  at  latest." 

Juve  was  about  to  leave  his  post  of  observa- 
tion when  he  saw  Josephine  raise  her  head  in  an 
attitude  of  listening  to  an  indefinable  and  mys- 
terious noise. 

"What  is  going  on?"  Juve  asked  himself. 
"She  cannot  be  already  watching  for  Chaleck's 
return." 


242  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

Then  Juve  started. 

"Oh!  oh!" 

He  had  just  seen  Josephine  at  a  single  bound 
spring  toward  the  window.  The  young  woman 
gazed  steadily  in  front  of  her,  her  arms  out- 
stretched in  a  posture  of  horror.  She  seemed  in 
a  state  of  abject  terror.  There  was  no  mistaking 
her  motions.  She  was  panic-stricken,  panting, 
trembling  in  all  her  limbs.  Juve,  who  lost  no 
movement  of  the  hapless  woman,  felt  a  cold 
sweat  break  out  on  his  forehead. 

"What's  the  matter  with  her?  There  is  no- 
body in  the  room,  I  see  nothing!  What  can 
frighten  her  to  that  extent?  Oh,  my  God!" 

Forgetting  all  precautions,  all  the  comedy  he 
was  preparing  so  carefully  for  the  neighbour's 
benefit,  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  deserting  his  wheel 
chair.  His  hands  clenched  on  the  rail  of  the 
balcony  while  spellbound  by  the  sight  he  beheld, 
he  leaned  over  the  rail  as  if  in  a  frantic  desire 
to  fling  himself  to  the  young  woman's  help.  Jo- 
sephine had  bestridden  the  sash  of  her  window. 
She  was  now  standing  on  the  ledge,  holding  with 
one  hand  to  the  rail  of  her  balcony  and  her  body 
flung  backwards  as  if  mad  with  terror. 

"What  is  happening?     Oh,  the  poor  soul!" 

Josephine,  uttering  a  desperate  cry,  had  let 
go  of  the  supporting  rail  and  had  flung  herself 


FANTOMAS  243 

into  space.  Juve  saw  the  young  woman's  body 
spin  in  the  air,  heard  the  dull  thud  that  it  made 
as  it  crashed  against  the  ground. 

"It  is  monstrous!" 

Juve  beside  himself  tore  down  the  stairs  full 
tilt,  passed  breathlessly  the  porteress,  who  seemed 
likely  to  faint  at  the  sight  of  the  headlong  pace 
of  the  supposed  paralytic. 

He  went  round  Boulevard  Pereire,  darted 
along  the  railway  line,  and,  panting,  got  to  the 
side  of  the  ill-starred  Josephine.  At  the  sound 
of  her  fall  and  the  cries  she  uttered  people  had 
flown  to  the  windows,  passers-by  had  turned 
round :  when  Juve  got  there  a  ring  of  people  had 
already  formed  round  the  unfortunate  woman. 
The  detective  roughly  pushed  some  of  them  aside, 
knelt  down  beside  the  body  and  put  his  ear  to 
the  chest. 

"Dead?     No!" 

A  faint  groan  came  from  the  lips  of  the  poor 
sufferer.  Juve  realised  that  by  unheard-of  luck, 
Josephine,  in  the  course  of  her  fall,  had  struck 
the  outer  branches  of  one  of  the  trees  that  fringed 
the  Boulevard.  This  had  somewhat  broken  the 
shock,  but  her  legs  were  frightfully  broken  and 
one  of  her  arms  hung  lifeless. 

"Quick!"  commanded  Juve.  "A  cab;  take  her 
to  the  hospital." 


244  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

As  soon  as  help  was  forthcoming,  Juve,  re- 
called to  the  duties  of  his  profession,  asked  him- 
self: 

"What  can  have  occurred?  What  was  it  she 
tried  to  escape  by  throwing  herself  into  space? 
I  saw  the  whole  room,  there  was  no  one  with 
her.  She  must  have  been  the  victim  of  a  delu- 


sion." 


UNCLE   AND   NEPHEW! 

"So,  uncle,  you  have  decided  to  live  at  Neu- 
illy?" 

'Oh,  it's  quite  settled.  Your  aunt  finds  the 
place  charming,  and  besides,  it  would  be  so  pleas- 
ant to  have  a  garden.  Also,  the  land  is  sure 
to  grow  more  valuable  in  this  neighbourhood 
and  the  purchase  of  a  house  here  would  be  a  good 
speculation!" 

The  stout  man,  as  he  uttered  the  word  "specu- 
lation," beamed.  The  mere  sight  of  him  sug- 
gested the  small  tradesman  grown  rich  by  dint 
of  long  and  arduous  years  of  toil,  retired  from 
business  and  prone  to  fancy  he  was  a  man  of 
genius. 

Compared  with  him  the  young  man  he  styled 
nephew,  slim,  elaborately  elegant,  his  little  mous- 
tache carefully  curled,  gave  the  impression  of 
coming  out  of  a  draper's  shop  and  wanting  to  be 

245 


246  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

taken  for  a  swell.    Evidently  the  nephew  courted 
the  uncle  and  flattered  him. 

"You  are  right,  land  speculations  are  very 
sure  and  very  profitable.  So  you  wrote  to  the 
caretaker  of  the  house  to  let  you  view  it?" 

"I  did,  and  he  answered,  'Come  to-day  or  to- 
morrow. I  shall  be  at  your  orders.'  That  is 
why  I  sent  you  word  to  go  with  me,  for  since 
you  are  the  sole  heir  of  my  fortune " 

"Oh,  uncle,  you  may  be  sure " 

The  Madeleine  tramway  where  the  two  men 
were  talking  aloud,  heeding  little  the  amused  no- 
tice of  the  other  passengers,  pulled  up  a  moment 
in  the  Place  de  1'Eglise  at  Neuilly. 

"Let  us  get  down.  Boulevard  Inkermann  be- 
gins here." 

With  the  pantings  and  gaspings  of  a  man 
whose  stoutness  made  all  physical  exercise  irk- 
some, the  uncle  lowered  himself  off  the  footboard 
of  the  tram.  The  young  man  sprang  to  his  side. 
After  five  minutes'  walk  the  two  men  were  in 
front  of  Lady  Beltham's  house,  the  identical 
house  to  which  Juve  and  Fandor  had  previously 
come  before  to  make  exhaustive  inquiries. 

"You  see,  my  boy,"  declared  the  stout  party, 
"it  is  not  at  all  a  bad  looking  house.  Evidently 
it  has  not  been  lived  in  for  a  long  time,  its  state 
of  outside  dilapidation  shows  how  neglected  it 


FANTOMAS  247 

has  been,  but  it  is  possible  that  inside  there  may 
not  be  many  repairs  to  be  made." 

"In  any  case,  the  garden  is  very  fine." 

"Yes,  the  grounds  are  large  enough.  And 
then  what  I  like  is  its  wonderful  seclusion:  the 
wall  surrounding  it  on  all  sides  is  very  high,  and 
the  entrance  gate  would  be  hard  for  robbers  to 
tackle." 

"Shall  I  ring?" 

"Yes,  ring." 

The  young  man  pressed  the  button,  a  peal  rang 
out  in  the  distance :  presently  the  porter  appeared. 
He  was  a  big  fellow  with  long  whiskers  and  a  dis- 
tinguished air,  the  perfect  type  of  the  high-class 
servant. 

"You  gentlemen  have  come  to  see  the  house?" 

"Exactly.  I  am  M.  Durant.  It  is  I  who 
wrote  to  you." 

"To  be  sure,  sir,  I  remember." 

The  porter  showed  the  two  visitors  into  the 
garden,  and  forthwith  the  stout  man  drew  his 
nephew  along  the  paths.  The  sense  of  proprie- 
torship came  over  him  at  once ;  he  spared  his  rela- 
tive none  of  the  points  of  the  property. 

"You  see,  Emile,  it  isn't  big,  but  still  it  is 
amply  sufficient.  No  trees  before  the  house, 
which  allows  a  view  of  the  Boulevard  from  all 
the  windows.  The  servants'  quarters  being  in  the 


248  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

far  part  of  the  garden  can  in  no  way  annoy  the 
people  in  the  house:  Notice,  too,  that  the  trees 
are  quite  young  and  their  foliage  thin.  I  don't 
care  for  too  luxuriant  gardens  which  are  apt  to 
block  the  view." 

"That's  right,  Uncle." 

The  porter,  who  was  following  the  two,  broke 
in  upon  the  ecstasy  of  the  prospective  owner. 

"Would  you  gentlemen  like  to  see  the  house?" 

"Why,  certainly,  certainly." 

The  stout  man,  however,  before  entering,  was 
bent  on  going  round  it.  He  noticed  the  smallest 
details,  growing  more  and  more  enthusiastic. 

"Look,  Emile,  it  is  very  well  built.  The 
ground  floor  is  sufficiently  raised  so  as  not  to  be 
too  damp.  This  big  terrace,  on  which  the  three 
French  windows  open,  must  be  very  cheerful  in 
summer.  Oh,  there  are  drain  pipes  at  the  four 
corners !  And  we  mustn't  fail  to  see  the  cellars. 
I'm  sure  they  are  very  fine.  Bend  down  over  the 
air-holes;  what  do  you  think  of  the  gratings  that 
close  them?  And,  now,  shall  we  go  in?" 

The  porter  led  them  to  the  main  entrance  door. 

"Here  is  the  vestibule,  gentlemen,  to  the  left, 
the  servants'  hall  and  kitchen;  to  the  right,  the 
dining-room;  facing  you  a  small  drawing-room, 
then  the  large  drawing-room,  and,  lastly,  the 
double  staircase  leading  to  the  first  floor." 


FANTOMAS  249 

The  stout  man  dropped  into  a  chair. 

"And    to    whom    does    this    place    belong?" 

"Lady   Beltham,   sir." 

"She  does  not  live  here?" 

"Not  now.  At  this  moment  she  is  travel- 
ling." 

In  the  wake  of  the  porter,  uncle  and  nephew 
went  through  the  rooms  on  the  ground  floor.  As 
happens  in  all  untenanted  houses,  the  damp  had 
wrought  terrible  havoc.  The  flooring,  worm- 
eaten,  creaked  under  their  feet,  the  carpets  had 
large  damp  spots  on  them,  the  paper  hung  loose 
on  the  walls,  while  the  furniture  was  covered  with 
a  thick  coat  of  dust. 

"Don't  pay  any  attention  to  the  furniture, 
Emile,  it  matters  little;  what  we  must  first  look 
at  is  the  arrangement  of  the  rooms.  Why,  there 
are  iron  shutters — I  like  that." 

"To  be  sure,  Uncle,  they  are  very  practical." 

"Yes,  yes;  to  begin  with,  when  those  shutters 
are  closed  it  would  be  impossible  from  the  out- 
side to  see  anything  in  the  rooms.  Not  even  the 
least  light." 

The  porter  proceeded  to  show  them  the  first 
floor  of  the  house. 

"There  is  only  one  staircase?"  asked  the  stout 
man. 

"Yes,  only  one." 


25o  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"And  what  is  the  cause  of  the  unusual  damp- 
ness? We  are  far  from  the  Seine;  the  garden  is 
not  very  leafy." 

"There  is  a  leaky  cistern  in  the  cellars,  sir. 
Here  is  the  largest  bedroom.  It  was  my  Lady's." 

"Yes,  one  sees  it  has  been  the  last  room  to  be 
lived  in." 

At  this  harmless  remark  the  porter  seemed 
very  upset. 

"What  makes  you  think  that,  sir?" 

"Why,  the  chairs  are  pushed  about  as  though 
recently  used.  There  is  much  less  dust  on  the 
furniture.  And — there's  a  print — look  at  the 
desk,  there  is  a  trace  of  dust  on  the  diary.  The 
blotting  paper  has  been  moved  lately,  some  one 
has  been  writing  there — why,  what's  wrong  with 
you?" 

As  he  listened  to  the  stout  man's  remarks  the 
porter  grew  strangely  pale. 

"Oh,"  he  stammered,  "it's  nothing,  nothing  at 
all." 

"One  would  say  you  were  afraid." 

"Afraid?  No,  sir.  I  am  not  afraid — 
only " 

"Only  what?" 

"Well,  gentlemen,  it  is  best  not  to  stay  here — 
Lady  Beltham  is  selling  the  house  because  it  is — 
haunted!" 


FANTOMAS  251 

Neither  of  the  visitors  seemed  impressed  by  the 
statement  of  their  guide.  The  elder  laughed  a 
jolly  laugh. 

"Are  there  ghosts?" 

"Why,  sir,  'spirits'  come  here." 

"Have  you  seen  them?" 

"Oh!  certainly  not,  sir.  When  they  are  there, 
I  shut  myself  up  in  the  lodge,  I  can  assure 
you " 

"When  do  they  appear?" 

"They  come  almost  always  on  Tuesday  nights." 

And  warming  to  his  subject  the  porter  gave  de- 
tails. He  got  the  impression  first  on  one  occasion 
when  her  Ladyship  was  absent.  She  had  left 
some  days  before  for  Italy.  It  was  Sunday,  and 
then  during  Tuesday  night  while  walking  in  the 
garden  he  heard  movements  inside  the  house. 

"I  went  to  fetch  my  keys  and  when  I  came 
back  I  found  nobody!  I  thought  at  first  it  was 
burglars,  but  I  saw  nothing  had  been  taken  away. 
Yet,  I  was  not  mistaken,  furniture  had  been 
moved.  There  were  bread  crumbs  on  the  floor." 

The  young  man  roared  with  laughter. 

"Bread  crumbs!  Then  your  spirits  come  and 
sup  here?" 

The  uncle,  equally 'amused,  asked: 

"And  what  did  Lady  Beltham  think  when 
you  told  her  that?" 


252  EXPLOITS    OF    JUVE 

"Lady  Beltham  laughed  at  me.  But,  sir,  I 
had  my  own  ideas.  I  watched  in  the  gar- 
den daily  and  I  heard  the  same  sounds  and 
always  on  Tuesday  nights.  At  last  I  laid  a 
trap;  I  put  a  chalk  mark  round  the  chairs  in 
Lady  Beltham's  room,  she  being  still  away. 
Well,  sir,  when  I  came  to  the  house  again  on 
Thursday  the  chairs  had  been  moved.  I  told 
Lady  Beltham,  and  this  time  she  seemed  very 
much  frightened.  It  is  since  then  she  made  up 
her  mind  to  sell  the  house." 

"For  all  that,  what  makes  you  say  they  are 
spirits?" 

"What  else  could  it  be,  sir.  I  also  heard  the 
sounds  of  chains  jangling.  One  night  I  even 
heard  a  strange  and  terrible  hiss." 

"Well!"  cried  the  stout  man,  beginning  to  go 
down  the  staircase,  "since  the  house  is  haunted  I 
shall  have  to  pay  less  for  it;  eh,  Emile?" 

"You  will  buy,  sir,  in  spite  of  that?" 

"To  be  sure.  Your  phantoms  alarm  me  less 
than  the  damp." 

"Oh,  the  damp?  That  can  be  easily  remedied. 
You  will  see  that  we  have  a  central  heating  stove 
installed." 

The  porter  led  his  vistors  down  a  narrow  stair 
to  the  cellars. 

"Take  care,  gentlemen,  the  stairs  are  slippery." 


FANTOMAS  253 

Then  he  observed:  "You  don't  need  a  candle, 
the  gratings  are  big  enough  to  give  plenty  of 
light." 

"What  is  that?"  asked  the  young  man,  point- 
ing to  a  huge  iron  cylinder  embedded  in  the  earth 
and  rising  some  four-and-a-half  feet  above  the 
floor. 

"The  cistern  of  which  I  spoke,  as  you  can  see 
for  yourselves,  it  is  all  but  full." 

The  porter  hurried  them  on. 

"That  is  the  heating  stove.  There  are  con- 
ductors throughout  the  house.  When  it  is  in  full 
blast  the  house  is  even  too  warm." 

"But  your  grate  stove  is  in  pieces!"  objected 
the  stout  man,  pointing  with  his  stick  to  iron 
plates  torn  out  of  one  side  of  the  central  fur- 
nace. 

"Oh,  sir,  that  happened  at  the  time  of  the 
floods.  But  it  won't  cost  much  to  put  it  right. 
If  you  gentlemen  will  examine  the  inside  of  the 
apparatus  you  will  see  that  the  pipes  are  in  per- 
fect order." 

The  uncle  followed  the  porter's  suggestion. 

"Your  pipes  are  as  big  as  chimneys;  a  man 
could  pass  through  them. 

The  inspection  ended,  uncle  and  nephew  be- 
stowed a  liberal  tip  on  their  guide.  They  would 
think  it  over  and  write  or  come  again  soon. 


254  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

The  two  relatives  retraced  their  steps  to  Bou- 
levard Inkermann. 

"Fandor?" 

"Juve?" 

"We  have  got  them !" 

Uncle  and  nephew — that  is  to  say,  Juve  and 
Fandor — could  talk  quite  freely  now. 

"Juve,  are  you  certain  that  we  have  got  them?" 

Juve  pushed  his  friend  into  a  wine-shop  and 
ordered  drinks.  He  then  drew  from  his  pocket  a 
piece  of  paper,  quite  blank. 

"What  is  that?" 

"A  bit  of  paper  I  picked  up  on  Lady  Beltham's 
desk  while  the  porter's  back  was  turned.  It  will 
serve  for  a  little  experiment.  If  it  is  not  long 
since  a  hand  rested  on  it,  we  shall  find  the  print." 

"On  this  blank  paper?" 

"Yes,  Fandor.     Look!" 

Juve  drew  a  pencil  from  his  pocket  and 
scratched  off  a  fine  dust  of  graphite  which  he 
shook  over  the  paper.  Gradually  the  outline  of 
a  hand  appeared,  faint,  but  quite  visible. 

"That  is  how,"  resumed  Juve,  "with  this  very 
simple  process,  you  can  decipher  the  finger  prints 
of  persons  who  have  written  or  rested  their  hands 
on  anything — paper,  glass,  even  wood.  Accord- 
ing to  the  clearness  of  this  outline  which  is  thrown 
up  by  the  coagulation  of  the  plumbago — thanks 


FANTOMAS  255 

to  the  ordinary  moisture  of  the  hand — which  was 
laid  on  the  paper,  I  can  assure  you  that  some  one 
wrote  on  Lady  Beltham's  desk  about  ten  days 
ago." 

"It  is  wonderful,"  said  Fandor.  "Here,  then, 
is  proof  positive  that  her  Ladyship  visits  her 
house  from  time  to  time." 

"Correct — or  at  least  that  some  one  goes  there, 
for  that  is  a  man's  hand." 

"Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  now,  Juve?" 

"Now?  I'm  off  to  the  Prefecture  to  get  rid 
of  my  false  embonpoint,  which  bothers  me  no 
end.  I  have  never  been  so  glad  that  I  am  not 
naturally  stout." 

Fandor  laughed. 

"And  I  own  to  you  that  I  shan't  be  sorry  to 
get  rid  of  my  false  moustache.  All  the  while 
I  was  inspecting  that  cursed  house,  this  mous- 
tache kept  tickling  my  nose  and  making  me  want 
to  sneeze." 

"You  should  have  done  so." 

"But  suppose  my  moustache  had  come  off?" 


XXXI 

LOVERS   AND   ACCOMPLICES 

"Oh!  who  is  that?" 

From  the  shadow  issued  some  one  who  calmly 
replied : 

"It  is  I." 

"Ah! — I  know  you  now,  but  why  this  dis- 
guise?" 

"Madame  the  Superior — I  present  myself — 
Doctor  Chaleck.  Isn't  my  disguise  as  good  as 
yours?" 

"What  do  you  want  of  me?  Speak  quickly,  I 
am  frightened." 

"To  begin  with,  I  thank  you  for  coming  to 
the  tryst  at  your  house — at  ours.  For  five  Tues- 
days I  have  waited  in  vain.  But  first,  madame, 
explain  your  sudden  conversion,  the  reason  of 
your  sudden  entry  into  Orders.  That  is  a  strange 
device  for  the  mistress  of  Gurn." 

Doctor  Chaleck  held  under  the  lash  of  his 
256 


FANTOMAS  257 

irony  the  unhappy  woman  who  seemed  overcome 
by  anxiety.  The  two  were  facing  each  other  in 
the  large  room  that  formed  the  middle  of  the 
first  floor  of  the  house  in  Boulevard  Inkermann 
at  Neuilly.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  only  room  fit  to 
use:  they  had  left  to  neglect  and  inclement 
weather  the  other  rooms  in  the  elegant  mansion 
which  some  years  before  was  considered  in  the 
Parisian  world  as  one  of  the  most  comfortable 
and  luxurious  in  the  foreign  colony. 

It  was  in  truth  here  that  in  days  gone  by 
the  tragic  drama  had  been  played:  death  had  laid 
its  cold  hand  upon  the  gilded  trappings  of  the 
great  apartment  and  laughter  and  joy  had  taken 
flight.  However,  time  passes  so  quickly  and  evil 
memories  so  soon  grow  dim  that  many  had  for- 
gotten the  grim  happenings  which  three  years 
before  had  beset  the  mansion  on  the  Boulevard. 

It  was  at  first  the  deep  mourning  of  Lady  Bel- 
tham  whose  husband  had  been  mysteriously  done 
to  death  at  Belleville.  Then,  some  weeks  later, 
occurred  the  awful  scene  of  the  arrest  of  Lord 
Beltham's  murderer,  just  as  he  was  leaving  the 
house,  an  arrest  due  to  Juve,  who,  though  he 
succeeded  in  laying  hands  on  the  assassin,  the  in- 
famous Gurn,  was  not  able  to  prove — sure  though 
he  might  be  of  it — that  the  slayer  of  the  hus- 
band was  the  lover  of  the  wife. 


258  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

After  these  shocking  events  Lady  Beltham 
left  France,  dismissing  the  many  attendants  with 
whom  she  loved  to  surround  herself  like  a  true 
queen  of  beauty,  luxury  and  wealth. 

At  rare  intervals  the  Lady,  whose  existence 
grew  more  and  more  mysterious,  went  back  for  a 
few  days  to  her  house  at  Neuilly.  She  would 
vanish,  would  reappear,  living  like  a  recluse,  al- 
most in  entire  solitude,  receiving  none  of  her  old 
acquaintances. 

About  a  year  ago  she  seemed  to  want  to  settle 
finally  at  Boulevard  Inkermann.  Workmen  be- 
gan to  put  the  house  in  order  again,  the  lodge 
was  opened  and  a  family  of  caretakers  came; 
then  suddenly  the  work  had  been  broken  off; 
some  weeks  went  by  while  Lady  Beltham  lived 
alone  with  her  companion;  then  both  disap- 
peared. 

Lady  Beltham  shivered,  and,  gathering  about 
her  shoulders  the  cloak  which  covered  her  re- 
ligious habit,  muttered:  "I'm  cold." 

"Beastly  weather,  and  to  think  this  is  July." 

Chaleck  crossed  to  a  register  in  the  corner  of 
the  room. 

"No  good  to  leave  that  open!  An  icy  wind 
comes  through  the  passage  to  the  cellar." 

Lady  Beltham  turned  in  'alarm  toward  her 
enigmatic  companion. 


FANTOMAS  259 

"Why  did  you  let  it  be  supposed  I  was  dead?" 

"Why  did  you  yourself  leave  here  two  days 
before  the  crime  at  the  Cite  Frochot?" 

Lady  Beltham  hung  her  head  and  with  a  sob 
in  her  voice: 

"I  was  deserted  and  jealous.  Besides,  I  was 
enduring  frightful  remorse.  The  Idea  had  come 
to  me  to  write  down  the  terrible  secret  which 
haunted  my  spirit,  to  give  the  story  to  some  one 
I  could  trust,  an  attorney,  and  then " 

"Go  on,  pray!" 

"And,  then,  what  I  had  written  suddenly  van- 
ished. It  was  after  that  I  lost  my  head  and  fled. 
I  had  long  been  meaning  to  withdraw  from  the 
world.  The  Sisters  of  St.  Clotilde  offered  to  re- 
ceive me  in  their  house  at  Nogent." 

Chaleck  added  brutally: 

"That  isn't  all.  You  forgot  to  say  you  were 
afraid.  Come,  be  frank,  afraid  of  Gurn,  of 
me!" 

"Well,  yes,  I  was  afraid,  not  so  much  of  you, 
but  of  our  crimes.  I  am  also  afraid  of  dying." 

"That  confession  you  wrote  became  known  to 
some  one  who  confided  it  to  me." 

"Heavens,"  murmured  the  unhappy  woman. 
"Who  mentioned  it?" 

Chaleck  had  again  crossed  to  the  register, 
which,  although  closed  by  him  some  moments  be- 


260  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

fore,  was  open  again,  letting  into  the  room  a 
blast  of  icy  air  from  the  basement. 

"This  can't  stay  shut,  it  must  be  seen  to,"  he 
muttered. 

Lady  Beltham,  shaken  by  a  nervous  tremour, 
insisted : 

"Who   betrayed   me?      Who    told?" 

Chaleck  seated  himself  by  her  side. 

"You  remember  Valgrand,  the  actor?  Well, 
Valgrand  was  married.  His  wife  sought  to 
clear  up  the  mystery  of  his  disappearance  and 
went — where,  I  ask  you?  Why,  to  you,  Lady 
Beltham!  You  took  her  as  companion!  It 
would  have  been  impossible  to  introduce  a  more 
redoubtable  spy  into  the  house  than  the  widow 
Valgrand,  known  by  you  under  the  false  name  of 
Mme.  Raymond." 

Lady  Beltham  remained  panic-stricken. 

"We  are  lost!" 

Chaleck  squeezed  her  two  hands  in  a  genuine 
burst  of  affection. 

"We  are  saved!"  he  shouted.  "Mme.  Ray- 
mond will  talk  no  more !" 

"The  body  at  the  Cite  Frochot!" 

Chaleck  nodded.      "Yes." 

She  looked  at  him  in  alarm,  mingled  with  re- 
pulsion and  horror. 

"Now,  understand  that  that  death  saved  you, 


FANTOMAS  261 

and  if  I  saved  you  it  is  because  I  loved  you,  love 
you  still,  will  always  love  you!" 

Lady  Beltham,  overcome,  let  herself  fall  into 
Chaleck's  arms,  her  head  resting  on  her  lover's 
shoulder  as  she  wept  hot  tears. 

Lady  Beltham  was  once  more  enslaved,  a  cap- 
tive! More  than  two  years  ago  she  had  broken 
with  the  mysterious  and  terrible  being  whom  she 
had  once  egged  on  to  kill  her  husband,  and  with 
whom  she  then  committed  the  most  appalling 
of  crimes.  During  this  separation  the  unhappy 
woman  had  tried  to  pull  herself  together,  to  ac- 
quire a  fresh  honesty  of  mind  and  body,  a  new 
soul;  dreamed  of  finding  again  in  religion  some 
help,  some  forgetfulness.  She  had  later  expe- 
rienced the  frightful  tortures  of  jealousy,  know- 
ing her  late  lover  had  mistresses!  But  she  re- 
sisted the  craving  to  see  him  again,  and  pictured 
him  to  herself  in  such  terrible  guise  that  she  felt 
an  overwhelming  fear  of  finding  herself  face  to 
face  with  him.  Now  the  season  of  calm  and 
quiet  she  had  evoked  was  suddenly  dispelled. 
First  came  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  her 
confession  and  the  weird  crime  of  the  Cite  Fro- 
chot  following  on  its,  loss.  To  be  sure  she  did 
not  then  know  that  Doctor  Chaleck,  of  whom  the 
papers  spoke,  was  none  other  than  Gurn,  but  had 
they  not  in  La  Capitale  spoken  of  Fantomas  in 


262  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

that  connection?  And  at  this  disquieting  com- 
parison Lady  Beltham  had  felt  sinister  forebod- 
ings. Other  mysteries  had  then  supervened,  un- 
accountable to  the  guilty  lady  who  by  that  time 
was  already  seeking  her  new  birth  in  the  bosom 
of  Religion.  Alas!  her  miseries  were  to  grow 
definite  enough. 

At  the  very  gate  of  the  convent  an  innocent 
man,  Bonardin,  the  actor,  fell  victim  to  the  at- 
tack of  Juve,  also  innocent,  and  in  that  affair  she 
felt  the  complicity  of  her  late  lover  grow  more 
and  more  certain.  She  then  received  a  letter 
from  him,  followed  by  a  second.  Gurn  called 
her  to  his  place — their  place — the  mansion 
at  Neuilly,  every  Tuesday  night.  She  held 
out  several  times  despite  threatened  reprisals. 
At  last  she  yielded  and  went:  she  expected  Gurn 
— it  was  Chaleck  she  found.  The  two  were 
one! 

From  henceforth  she  was  faced  with  this  ac- 
complice, guilty  of  new  crimes,  clothed  in  a  new 
personality,  already  under  suspicion,  which  doubt- 
less he  would  cast  off  only  to  assume  another 
which  would  enable  him  still  further  to  extend 
the  list  of  his  crimes !  But  despite  all  the  horror 
her  lover  inspired  her  with  she  felt  herself  tamed 
again,  powerless  to  resist  him,  ready  to  do  any- 
thing the  moment  he  bade  her ! 


FANTOMAS  263 

She  inquired  feebly: 

"Who  was  it  killed  Mme.  Raymond?  Was 
it  that  ruffian — whom  they  speak  of  in  the  pa- 
pers— Loupart  ?" 

"Well,  not  exactly!" 

"Then  was  it  you?  Speak,  I  would  rather 
know." 

"It  was  neither  he  nor  I,  and  yet  it  was  to 
some  extent  both." 

"I  do  not  understand." 

"It  is  rather  difficult  to  understand.  Our  'ex- 
ecutioner' does  not  lack  originality.  I  may  say 
it  is  something  which  lives  yet  does  not  think." 

"Who  is  it!     Who  is  it!" 

"Why  not  ask  Detective  Juve.  Oh!  Juve,  too, 
would  like  to  know  who  the  deuce  all  these  peo- 
ple are.  Gurn,  Chaleck,  Loupart,  and,  above  all 
— Fantomas !" 

"Fantomas!  Ah,  I  scarcely  dare  utter  that 
name.  And  yet  a  doubt  oppresses  my  heart! 
Tell  me,  are  you  not,  yourself — Fantomas?" 

Chaleck  freed  himself  gently,  for  Lady  Bel- 
tham  had  wound  her  arms  round  his  neck. 

"I  know  nothing,  I  am  merely  the  lover  who 
loves  you." 

"Then  let  us  go  far  away.  Let  us  begin  a  new 
existence  together.  Will  you?  Come!"  She 
stopped  all  at  once —  "I  heard  a  noise."  Cha- 


264  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

leek,  too,  listened.  Some  slight  creakings  had, 
indeed,  disturbed  the  hush  of  the  room.  But 
outside  the  wind  and  the  rain  whirled  around  the 
dilapidated,  lonely  abode,  and  it  was  not  sur- 
prising that  unaccountable  sounds  should  be  au- 
dible in  the  stillness.  Once  more  Lady  Beltham 
built  up  her  plans,  catching  a  glimpse  of  a  future 
all  peace  and  happiness. 

With  a  brief,  harsh  remark,  Chaleck  brought 
her  back  to  reality. 

"All  that  cannot  be,  at  least  for  the  moment, 
we  must  first " 

Lady  Beltham  laid  her  hand  on  his  lips. 

"Do  not  speak!"  she  begged.  "A  fresh  crime 
— that's  what  you  mean?" 

"A  vengeance,  an  execution!  A  man  has  set 
himself  to  run  me  down,  has  determined  my  ruin : 
between  us  it  is  a  struggle  without  quarter;  my 
life  is  not  safe  but  at  the  cost  of  his,  so  he  must 
perish.  In  four  days  they  will  find  Detective 
Juve  dead  in  his  own  bed.  And  with  him  will 
finally  vanish  the  fiction  he  has  evoked  of  Fan- 
tomas! Fantomas!  Ah,  if  society  knew — if 
humanity,  instead  of  being  what  it  is — but  it 
matters  little!" 

"And  Fantomas?  What  will  become  of  him — 
of  you?" 

"Have  I  told  you  that  I  was  Fantomas?" 


FANTOMAS  265 

"No,"  stammered  she,  "but " 

The  dim  light  of  a  pale  dawn  filtered  through 
the  closed  shutters  of  the  big  drawing-room  in 
which  lover  and  mistress  had  met  again,  after 
long  weeks  of  separation,  to  call  up  sinister  mem- 
ories. For  all  their  hopes  the  limit  of  the  tribula- 
tions to  which  they  were  a  prey  seemed  still  far  off. 

Chaleck  blew  out  the  lamp.  He  drew  aside 
the  curtains.  Sharply  he  put  an  end  to  the  inter- 
view: 

"I  am  off,  Lady  Beltham.  Soon  we  shall  meet 
again.  Never  let  anyone  suspect  what  we  have 
said  to  each  other — Farewell." 

The  hapless  woman,  crushed  and  broken  by 
emotion,  remained  nearly  an  hour  alone  in  the 
great  room.  Then  the  requirements  of  her  offi- 
cial life  came  to  her  mind.  It  was  necessary  to 
return  to  the  convent  at  Nogent. 

Extricating  themselves  painfully  from  the  pipes 
of  the  great  stove,  Juve  and  Fandor,  covered 
with  plaster,  wreathed  with  cobwebs,  and  freely 
sprinkled  with  dust,  fell  back  suddenly  into  the 
middle  of  the  cellar.  The  two  men,  heedless  of 
the  disarray  of  their  dress  and  their  painful 
cramped  limbs,  spoke  both  at  once,  dumbfounded 
but  joyful: 


266  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Well,  Juve?" 

"Well,  Fandor,  we  got  something  for  our 
money." 

"Oh,  what  a  lovely  night,  Juve;  I  wouldn't 
have  given  up  my  place  for  a  fortune." 

"We  had  front  seats,  though  to  be  sure  the 
velvet  armchairs  were  lacking." 

They  were  silent  for  a  moment,  their  minds 
fully  occupied  with  a  crowd  of  ideas.  So  Cha- 
leck  and  Loupart  were  one  and  the  same?  And 
Lady  Beltham  was  indeed  the  acccomplice  of  Gurn. 
An  unhappy  accomplice,  repentant,  wretched,  a 
criminal  through  love. 

"Fandor,   they  are  ours  now.     Let  us  act!" 

The  pair,  not  sorry  to  breathe  a  little  more 
easily  than  they  had  done  for  the  past  few  hours, 
went  upstairs,  reached  the  ground  floor  and  made 
their  way  into  the  drawing-room,  where  during 
the  night  Doctor  Chaleck  and  Lady  Beltham  had 
had  their  memorable  interview. 

Juve,  without  a  word,  paced  up  and  down  the 
room,  poking  in  all  the  corners,  then  gave  a 
cry: 

"Here  is  the  famous  mouth  of  the  heater 
which  that  brute  Chaleck  tried  to  shut,  and  I 
persisted  in  opening  so  as  not  to  lose  a  word  of 
his  instructive  conversation.  No  matter,  if  he 
felt  cold,  what  did  I  feel  like?" 


FANTOMAS  267 

"The  fact  is,"  added  Fandor,  whose  hoarse 
voice  bore  witness  to  the  difficulties  he  had  just 
passed  through,  "these  stove  pipes  have  very  lit- 
tle comfort  about  them." 

"What  can  you  expect?"  cried  Juve.  "The 
architect  did  not  think  of  us  when  he  built  the 
house.  And  now,  Fandor,  we  have  a  hard  task 
before  us  and  we  need  all  the  luck  we  can  get. 
For  certainly  it  is  Fantomas  we  have  unearthed: 
Fantomas,  the  lover  of  Lady  Beltham,  the  slayer 
of  her  husband,  the  murderer  of  Valgrand,  the 
master  that  got  rid  of  Mme.  Raymond!  Gurn, 
Chaleck,  Loupart.  The  one  being  who  can  be 
all  those  and  himself  too — Fantomas." 

As  the  two  friends  left  Lady  Beltham's  house 
without  attracting  notice,  the  detective  drew  from 
his  pocket  a  species  of  little  scale  which  he  showed 
Fandor. 

"What  do  you  make  of  that?" 

"I  haven't  the  least  idea." 

"Well,  I  have,  and  it  may  put  us  in  the  way 
of  a  great  discovery.  Did  you  notice  that  Cha- 
leck did  not  say  definitely  who  the  'executioner' 
of  Mme.  Raymond  was?" 

"To  be  sure." 

"Well,  I  believe  that  I  have  a  morsel  of  this 
'executioner'  in  my  pocket. 


XXXII 

THE   SILENT   EXECUTIONER 

Juve  was  in  his  study  smoking  a  cigarette. 
It  was  nine  in  the  evening.  The  door  leading  to 
the  lobby  opened  and  Fandor  walked  in. 

"All  right,  this  evening?" 

"All  right.     What  brings  you  here,  Fandor?" 

The  journalist  smiled  and  pointed  to  a  calen- 
dar on  the  wall:  "The  fact  that — it's  this  eve- 
ning, Juve." 

"The  date  fixed  by  Chaleck  or  Fantomas  for 
my  demise.  To-morrow  morning  I  am  to  be 
found  in  my  bed,  strangled,  crushed,  or  some- 
thing of  the  sort.  I  suppose  you've  come  to  get 
a  farewell  interview  for  La  Capitate.  To  gather 
the  minutest  details  of  the  frightful  crime  so  that 
you  can  publish  a  special  edition.  'The  tragedy 
in  Rue  Bonaparte!  Juve  overcome  by  Fantomas!'  " 

Fandor  listened,  amused  at  the  detective's  out- 
burst. 

268 


FANTOMAS  269 

"You'd  be  angry  with  me,  Juve,"  he  declared, 
in  the  same  jocular  strain,  "for  passing  by  such 
a  sensational  piece  of  news,  wouldn't  you?" 

"That  is  so.  And  then  I  own  I  expected  my  last 
evening  to  be  a  lonely  one,  there  was  a  feeling  of 
sadness  at  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  I  thought 
that  before  dying  I  should  have  liked  to  say  fare- 
well to  young  Fandor,  whose  life  I  am  contin- 
ually putting  in  peril  by  my  crazy  ventures,  but 
whom  I  love  as  the  surest  "of  companions,  the 
sagest  of  advisers,  the  most  discreet  of  con- 
fidants." 

Fandor  was  touched.  With  a  spontaneous 
movement  he  sprang  to  the  armchair  in  which 
Juve  sat,  seized  and  wrung  the  detective's  hands. 

"What?" 

"I  shall  stay  here.     You   don't  suppose   I'm* 
going  to  leave  you  to  pass  this  night  alone?" 

Juve,  touched  beyond  measure  by  Fandor's 
words,  seemed  uncertain  what  he  ought  to  de- 
cide. 

"I  can't  pretend,  Fandor,  that  your  presence  is 
not  agreeable,  and  I'm  grateful  to  you  for  your 
sympathy;  I  knew  I  could  count  on  you:  but 
after  all,  lad,  we  must  look  ahead  and  .consider 
all  contingencies.  Fantomas  may  succeed!  Now 
you  know  what  I  have  set  out  to  do;  if  I  should 
fail,  I  should  like  to  think  that  you  would  carry 


27o  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

on  the  work  as  my  successor  and  put  an  end  to 
Fantomas." 

"But,  Juve,  you  are  threatened  by  Fantomas; 
that  is  why  I  am  here  to  help  you." 

"Well,  I  have  no  bed  to  put  you  in." 

Fandor,  taken  aback,  stared  at  the  detective. 
The  later  rose  and  began  walking  about  the  room, 
then  turned  sharply  and  gazed  at  the  young  man : 

"You  are  quite  determined  to  stay  with  me?" 

"Yes." 

"And  if  I  bade  you  go?" 

"I  should  disobey  you." 

"Very  well,  then,"  concluded  Juve,  shrugging 
his  shoulders,  "come  along  and  light  me." 

The  detective  passed  out  of  the  apartment  and 
made  for  the  stairs. 

"Where  are  we  bound  for?"  asked  Fandor. 

"The  garret,"  Juve  replied. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Juve  and  Fandor 
dragged  into  the  bedroom  a  huge  open-work 
wicker-basket. 

"Whew!"  cried  Juve,  mopping  his  forehead, 
"no  one  would  believe  it  was  so  heavy." 

Fandor  smiled. 

"It's  full  of  rubbish.  Really,  Juve,  you  are 
not  a  tidy  man!" 

Juve,  without  reply,  proceeded  to  empty  the 
basket,  pulling  out  books,  linen,  pieces  of  wood, 


FANTOMAS  271 

carpet,  rolls  of  paper;  in  fact,  the  accumulated 
refuse  of  fifteen  years. 

"What  is  your  height?"  he  asked. 

"If  I  remember  right,  five  feet  ten." 

Juve  got  out  his  pocket  measure  and  took  the 
length  of  the  crate. 

"That's  all  right,"  he  murmured.  "You'll  be 
quite  snug  and  comfortable  in  it." 

Fandor  burst  out: 

"You're  a  cheerful  host,  Juve.  You  bottle  up 
your  guests  in  cages  now!" 

Juve  placed  a  mattress  at  the  bottom  of 
the  basket  and  laid  two  blankets  over  that,  then 
he  put  a  pillow  on  top.  Patting  the  bed- 
ding to  make  it  smooth,  he  declared  with  a 
laugh : 

"I  fear  nothing,  but  I  have  taken  precautions. 
I  have  posted  two  men  in  the  porter's  lodge.  I 
have  loaded  my  revolver,  and  dined  comfortably. 
About  half-past  eleven  I  shall  go  to  bed  as  usual. 
However,  instead  of  going  to  sleep  I  shall  en- 
deavour to  keep  awake.  At  dinner  I  took  three 
cups  of  coffee,  and  when  you  go  I  shall  drink  a 
fourth." 

"Excuse  me,"  said,  Fandor,  "but  I  am  not 
going  away." 

"There!  You'll  sleep  splendid  inside  that, 
Fandor." 


272  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

The  journalist,  used  to  the  devices  of  his 
friend,  nodded  his  head.  Juve  had  already  taken 
off  his  coat  and  waistcoat  and  now  drew  from  a 
box  three  belts  half  a  yard  in  breadth  and 
studded  outside  with  sharp  points.  "Look,  Fan- 
dor!  I  shall  be  completely  protected  when  I  am 
swathed  in  them.  Oh,"  he  added,  "I  was  going 
to  forget  my  leg  guards!" 

Juve  went  back  to  the  box  and  took  out  two 
other  rolls,  also  studded  with  spikes.  Fandor 
looked  in  amazement  at  this  gear  and  Juve  ob- 
served laughingly: 

"It  will  cost  me  a  pair  of  sheets  and  maybe  a 
mattress." 

"What  does  it  mean?" 

"These  defensive  works  have  a  double  object 
To  protect  me  against  Fantomas,  or  the  'execu- 
tioner' he  will  send,  and  also  I  shall  be  able 
to  determine  the  civil  status  of  the  'executioner' 
in  question." 

Fandor,  more  and  more  puzzled,  inspected  the 
iron  spikes,  which  were  two  or  more  inches  in 
length. 

"This  contrivance  is  not  new,"  said  Juve;  "Lia- 
beuf  wore  arm  guards  like  these  under  his  jacket, 
and  when  the  officers  wanted  to  seize  him  they 
tore  their  hands." 

"I  know,  I  know,"  replied  Fandor,  "but " 


FANTOMAS  273 

The  detective  all  at  once  laid  a  finger  on  his 
lips. 

"It's  now  twenty  past  eleven,  and  I  am  in  the 
habit  of  being  in  bed  at  half  past.  Fantomas  is 
bound  to  know  it:  when  he  comes  or  sends,  he 
must  not  notice  anything  out  of  the  way.  Get 
into  your  wicker  case  and  shut  the  lid  down  care- 
fully. By  the  by,  I  shall  leave  the  window  slightly 
open." 

"Isn't  that  a  bit  risky?" 

"It  is  one  of  my  habits,  and  not  to  make  Fan- 
tomas suspicious  I  alter  my  ways  in  nothing." 

Fandor  settled  himself  in  his  case  and  Juve 
also  got  into  bed.  As  he  put  out  the  light  he 
gave  a  warning. 

"We  mustn't  close  an  eye  or  utter  a  word. 
Whatever  happens,  don't  move.  But  when  I 
call,  strike  a  light  at  once  and  come  to  me." 

"All  right,"  replied  Fandor. 

"Fandor!" 

Juve's  cry  rent  the  stillness  of  the  night,  loud 
and  compelling.  The  journalist  leaped  from  his 
wicker-basket  so  abruptly  that  he  knocked  against 
the  lamp  stand  and  the  lamp  fell  to  the  floor. 
Fandor  searched  for  his  matches  in  vain. 

"Light  up,  Fandor !"  shouted  Juve. 

The  noise  of  a  struggle,  the  dull  thud  of  a 


274  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

fall  on  the  floor,  maddened  the  journalist.  In 
the  darkness  he  heard  Juve  groaning,  scraping 
the  floor  with  his  boots,  making  violent  efforts 
to  resist  some  mysterious  assailant.  . 

"Be  quick,  in  God's  name,"  implored  the  pain- 
wrung  voice  of  the  detective.  Fandor  trod  on 
the  glass  of  the  lamp,  which  broke.  He  tripped, 
knocked  his  head  against  a  press,  rebounded, 
then  suddenly  uttered  a  terrible  cry.  His  hands, 
outstretched  apart,  in  the  gloom,  had  brushed 
a  cold,  shiny  body  which  slid  under  his 
palms. 

"Fandor!     Help,  Fandor!" 

Desperate,  Fandor  plunged  haphazard  about 
the  disordered  chamber,  wrapped  in  darkness. 
Suddenly,  he  rushed  into  the  study  hard  by,  found 
there  another  lamp  which  he  lit  in  haste,  and  hur- 
ried back  with  it. 

A  fearful  sight  wrung  a  cry  of  terror  from 
him.  Juve,  on  his  knees  on  the  floor,  was  cov- 
ered with  blood. 

"Juve!" 

"It's  all  right,  Fandor.  Some  one  has  bled,  but 
not  I." 

The  detective  rushed  to  the  open  window  and 
leaned  out  into  the  dark  night. 

"Listen!"  he  cried.  "Do  you  hear  that  low 
hissing,  that  dull  rustling?" 


FANTOMAS  275 

"Yes.     I  heard  it  just  now." 

"It  was  the  'executioner.'  ' 

The  detective  drew  back  into  the  room,  shut 
the  window,  pulled  down  the  blinds,  and  then 
took  off  his  armour.  Curiously  he  examined  the 
stains  of  blood,  the  tiny  shreds  of  flesh  that  had 
remained  on  the  points. 

"We  have  no  more  to  fear  now,"  he  said,  "the 
stroke  has  been  tried — and  has  failed." 

"Juve!  tell  me  what  has  just  happened?  I 
may  be  an  idiot,  but  I  don't  understand  at  all!" 

"You  are  no  fool,  Fandor;  far  from  it,  but 
if  in  many  circumstances  you  reason  and  argue 
with  considerable  aptness,  I  grant  you  far  less 
deductive  faculty.  That  does  not  seem  to  be 
your  forte." 

Fandor  seated  himself  before  the  detective, 
and  the  latter  held  forth. 

"When  we  found  ourselves  faced  with  the  first 
crime,  that  of  the  Cite  Frochot,  and  our  notice 
was  drawn  to  the  elusive  Fantomas,  we  were 
unable  to  decide  in  what  manner  that  hapless 
Mme.  Raymond,  whom  we  then  took  for  Lady 
Beltham,  had  been  done  to  death.  Now,  remem- 
ber, Fandor,  that  during  that  night  of  mystery, 
hidden  behind  the  curtains  in  Chaleck's  study  we 
heard  weird  rustlings  and  faint  sort  of  hissings, 
didn't  we?" 


276  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"We  did,"  admitted  Fandor,  at  a  loss,  "but  go 
on,  Juve." 

"When  we  were  called  to  investigate  the  attack 
on  the  American,  Dixon,  it  was  easy  for  us  to 
conclude  that  the  attempt  of  which  the  pugilist 
had  been  the  object  was  the  outcome  of  the  same 
plan  of  battle  as  that  which  cost  the  widow  Val- 
grand  her  life.  The  mysterious  'executioner,' 
which  Chaleck  did  not  disguise  from  Lady  BeK 
tham,  was  thus  a  being  endowed  with  vigour 
enough  to  completely  crush  a  woman's  body, 
and  likely  do  as  much  to  that  of  an  ordinary  man. 
But  the  'executioner'  in  question  was  not  strong 
enough  to  get  the  better  of  the  grand  physique 
of  the  champion  pugilist,  since  it  failed  in  its 
attempt. 

"This  instrument  'of  limited  power,'  if  I  may 
so  describe  it,  must  then  be,  not  a  mechanism 
which  nothing  can  resist,  but  a  living  being!  It 
must  also  be  a  creature  striking  panic,  terrifying, 
formidable:  you  ask  why,  Fandor?" 

"Yes,  to  be  sure." 

"I  am  going  to  tell  you.  If  our  poor  friend 
Josephine  were  not  still  in  a  high  fever  she  would 
certainly  uphold  me.  You  remember  the  busi- 
ness on  the  Boulevard  Pereire?  Chaleck  or  Fan- 
tomas  wants  to  be  rid  of  the  woman  he  loved 
under  the  guise  of  Loupart,  since  he  has  gone 


FANTOMAS  277 

back  to  Lady  Beltham.  Moreover,  Josephine 
chatters  too  much  with  Dixon,  with  the  police. 

"Chaleck,  Fantomas,  therefore,  goes  up  to  Jo- 
sephine's. After  having  told  the  poor  creature 
I  know  not  what  yarn,  he  departs,  leaving  behind 
in  his  hold-all,  the  instrument.  Now  this  last, 
when  it  shows  itself,  so  terrifies  the  poor  girl 
that  she  throws  herself  out  of  the  window." 

"I  begin  to  see  what  you  mean,"  said  the  jour- 
nalist. 

"Listen,"  replied  Juve.  "The  mysterious, 
nameless  and  terrible  accomplice  of  Fantomas,  is 
no  other  than  a  snake  I  A  snake  trained  to  crush 
bodies  in  its  coils.  After  having  long  suspected 
its  existence,  I  began  to  be  sure  of  it  when  I 
found  that  strange  scale  at  Neuilly.  This  ac- 
counts for  the  incomprehensible  state  of  Mme. 
Valgrand's  body,  the  extraordinary  attempt  on 
Dixon,  the  murderous  thing  that  terrified  Jose- 
phine! That  is  why,  expecting  to-night's  visit,  I 
barbed  myself  with  iron  like  a  knight  of  old,  feel- 
ing pretty  sure  that  if  the  hands  of  the  officers 
were  torn  by  the  armlets  of  Liabeuf,  the  coils  of 
Fantomas'  serpent  would  be  flayed  on  touching 
my  sharp  spikes." 

"Juve!"  cried  Fandor,  "if  I  hadn't  had  the 
bad  luck  to  upset  the  lamp,  we  should  have 
caught  this  frightful  beast." 


278  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Probably,  but  what  should  we  have  done 
with  it?  After  all,  it's  better  that  it  should  go 
back  to  Fantomas." 

"But  you  haven't  yet  told  me  what  hap- 
pened!" ' 

The  young  man's  face  displayed  such  curiosity 
that  Juve  burst  out  laughing. 

"Journalist!  Incorrigible  newsmonger!  All 
right,  take  notes  for  your  article  describing  this 
appalling  adventure.  So,  then,  Fandor,  the  lamp 
once  out,  the  hours  go  by,  a  trifle  more  slowly 
in  the  darkness  than  in  the  light.  You  are  silent 
and  still  like  a  little  Moses  in  your  wicker  cradle. 
As  for  me,  armoured  as  I  was,  I  tried  not  to  stir 
in  my  bed — to  spare  the  sheets — Juve  is  not 
wealthy.  Midnight,  one  o'clock,  two,  the  quarter 
past.  How  long  it  is ! — Then,  an  alarm !  A  cat 
that  mews  strangely.  Then  comes  that  little  hiss- 
ing sound  I  begin  to  know.  Hiss — hiss!  Oh, 
what  a  horrid  feeling!  I  guess  that  the  window 
is  opening  wider.  You  heard,  as  I  did,  Fandor, 
the  revolting  scales  grit  on  the  boards.  But  you 
didn't  know  what  it  was,  whereas  I  did  know  it 
was  the  snake!  I  swear  to  you  it  needed  all  my 
pluck  not  to  flinch,  for  I  wanted  at  any  cost  to 
see  it  through  to  the  end,  and  know  whether, 
behind  this  reptile,  Fantomas  was  not  going  to 
show  his  vile  snout. 


FANTOMAS  279 

"Ah,  the  brute,  how  quickly  he  went  to  work. 
As  I  was  listening,  my  muscles  tense,  my  nerves 
on  edge,  I  suddenly  felt  my  sheet  stir — the  foul 
beast  is  trained  to  attack  beds,  remember  the  at- 
tack on  Dixon — and  suddenly  it  was  the  grip, 
furious,  quick  as  a  whip  stroke,  twining  about 
me.  I  was  thrown  down,  tossed,  shaken,  torn 
like  a  feather,  tied  up  like  a  sausage! 

"My  arms  glued  to  my  body,  my  loins  ham- 
pered. I  intended  not  to  say  a  word,  I  had  faith 
in  my  iron-work;  but  to  be  frank,  I  was  scared, 
awfully  scared.  And  I  yelled:  Tandor!  Help!' 

"Oh,  those  accursed  moments.  He  began  to 
squeeze  horribly  when  all  at  once  I  felt  a  cold 
liquid  flow  over  my  skin — blood.  The  brute  was 
wounded.  We  still  wrestled,  and  you  tripped  in 
the  darkness  and  smashed  the  glass  of  the  lamp, 
and  I  was  choking  gradually.  All  my  life  I  shall 
remember  it.  And  then,  what  relief,  what  joy 
when  the  grip  slackened,  when  he  gives  up  and 
makes  off.  The  beast  glided  over  the  floor, 
reached  the  window,  hissed  frantically  and  van- 
ished. There,  M.  Reporter,  you  have  impres- 
sions from  life,  and  rough  ones,  too!  Well,  the 
luck  is  turning,  and  I,  think  it  is  veering  to  our 
quarter.  Things  are  going  from  bad  to  worse 
for  Fantomas.  I  tell  you,  Fandor,  we  shall  nab 
him  before  long!" 


XXXIII 

A    SCANDAL    IN    THE    CLOISTER 

Slight  sounds,  scarcely  audible,  disturbed  the 
peace  of  the  cloister.  In  the  absolute  silence  of 
the  night,  vague  noises  could  be  distinguished. 
Furtive  steps,  whisperings,  doors  opened  or  shut 
cautiously.  Then  the  blinking  light  of  a  candle 
shone  at  a  casement,  two  or  three  other  windows 
were  illuminated  and  the  hubbub  grew  general. 
Voices  were  heard,  frightened  interjections,  the 
stir  increased  in  the  long  corridor  on  which  cells 
opened.  Generally  the  curtains  of  these  cells 
were  discreetly  drawn;  now  they  were  being 
pulled  aside.  Drowsy  faces  looked  out  of  the 
gloom;  the  excitement  increased. 

"Sister  Marguerite!  Sister  Vincent!  Sis- 
ter Clotilde!  What  is  it?  What  is  happening? 
Listen!" 

The  alarmed  nuns  gathered  at  the  far  end  of 
the  passage.  The  worthy  women,  roused  from 

280 


FANTOMAS  281 

their  rest,  had  hastily  arranged  their  coifs,  and 
chastely  wrapped  themselves  in  their  flowing 
robes.  They  turned  their  frightened  faces  to- 
ward the  chapel. 

"Burglars!"  murmured  the  Sister  who  was 
treasurer  of  the  convent,  thinking  of  the  cup  of 
gold  that  the  humble  little  sisterhood  preserved 
as  a  relic  with  jealous  care. 

Another  Sister,  recently  come  from  the  creuse, 
from  which  she  had  been  driven  by  the  laws, 
did  not  conceal  her  fears. 

"More  emissaries  of  the  government!  They 
are  going  to  turn  us  out!" 

The  Senior,  Sister  Vincent,  quivering  with 
alarm,  stammered: 

"It  is  a  revolution — I  saw  that  in  '70." 

A  heap  of  chairs  under  the  vaulting  suddenly 
toppled  down.  Panic  stricken,  the  sisters  crowd- 
ed closed  together,  not  daring  to  go  to  the  chapel, 
which  was  joined  to  the  passage  by  a  little  stair- 
case. 

"And  the  Mother  Superior,  what  did  she  think 
of  it  all — what  would  she  say?" 

They  drew  near  the  cell,  a  little  apart  from 
the  others,  occupied  by  the  lady,  who,  on  taking 
the  headship  of  the  "House,"  had  brought  with 
her  precious  personal  assistance  and  a  good  deal 
of  money  as  well.  Sister  Vincent,  who  had 


282  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

gone  forward  and  was  about  to  enter  the  little 
chamber,  drew  back. 

"Our  Holy  Mother,"  she  informed  the  others, 
"is  at  her  prayers." 

At  this  very  moment  broken  cries  rang  down 
the  passage.  Sister  Frances,  the  janitress,  who 
everyone  believed  was  calmly  slumbering  in  her 
lodge,  suddenly  appeared,  her  eyes  wild,  her  gar- 
ments in  disarray. 

The  sisters  gathered  round  her,  but  the  help- 
less woman  shrieked,  quite  beside  herself. 

"Let  me  go!  Let  us  fleel  I  have  seen  the 
devil !  He  is  there !  In  the  church !  It  is  fright- 
ful!" 

Mad  with  terror,  the  Sister  explained  in  dis- 
jointed phrases  what  had  alarmed  her.  She  had 
heard  a  noise  and  fancied  it  might  be  the  gar- 
dener's dog  shut  by  mistake  in  the  chapel.  Then 
behold!  At  the  moment  she  entered  the  choir  the 
stained-glass  window  above  the  shrine  of  St.  Clo- 
tilde,  their  patroness,  suddenly  gave  way,  and 
through  the  opening  appeared  a  supernatural 
being  who  came  toward  her  ejaculating  words 
she  could  not  understand.  Armed  with  a  great 
cudgel,  he  struck  right  and  left,  making  a  terri- 
ble uproar. 

Thereupon  the  janitress  made  an  effort  to  es- 
cape, but  the  demon  barred  her  path,  and  in 


FANTOMAS  283 

a  sepulchral  voice  commanded  her  to  go  for  the 
Mother  Superior  and  bid  her  come  at  once,  if  she 
did  not  want  the  worst  of  evils  to  fall  upon  the 
sisterhood. 

She  had  scarcely  finished  when  an  echoing 
crash  was  heard.  The  sisters  suppressed  a  cry, 
and  as  they  turned,  pale  with  dread,  before  them 
stood  their  Mother  Superior.  With  a  sweeping 
gesture,  she  vaguely  gave  a  blessing  as  if  to  en- 
dow them  with  courage,  then  turned  to  the  jani- 
tress. 

"My  dear  Sister  Framboise,  calm  yourself! 
Be  brave  I  God  will  not  forsake  us !  I  intend  to 
comply  with  the  desire  of  the  stranger.  I  will  go 
alone — with  God  alone !"  Lady  Beltham  made  a 
mighty  effort  to  disguise  the  emotion  she  felt. 
Slowly  she  went  down  the  steps  and  entered  the 
sanctuary,  where  she  halted  in  a  state  of  terror. 

The  choir  was  lit  up.  The  tapers  were  flaring 
on  the  high  altar,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  chapel, 
wrapped  in  a  large  black  cloak,  his  face  hidden 
by  a  black  mask,  stood  a  man,  mysterious  and 
alarming. 

"Lady  Beltham!" 

At  the  sound  of  this  voice,  Lady  Beltham 
fancied  she  recognised  her  lover. 

"What  do  you  want?  What  are  you  doing? 
It  is  madness  I" 


284  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

"Nothing  is  madness  in  Fantomas!" 

Lady  Beltham  pressed  her  hands  to  her  heart, 
unable  to  speak. 

The  voice  resumed:  "Fantomas  bids  you  leave 
here,  Lady  Beltham.  In  two  hours  you  will  go 
from  this  convent;  a  closed  motor  will  be  wait- 
ing for  you  at  the  back  of  the  garden,  at  the  little 
gate.  The  vehicle  will  take  you  to  a  seaport, 
where  you  will  board  a  vessel  which  the  driver 
will  indicate;  when  the  voyage  is  over  you  will 
be  in  England:  there  you  will  receive  fresh  orders 
to  make  for  Canada." 

Lady  Beltham  wrung  her  hands  in  despair. 

"Why  do  you  wish  to  force  me  to  leave  my 
dear  companions?" 

"Were  you  not  ready  to  leave  everything, 
Lady  Beltham,  to  make  a  new  life  for  yourself 
with — him  you  love?" 

"Alasl" 

"Remember  last  Tuesday  night  at  the  Neuilly 
mansion!" 

"Ah!  You  should  have  carried  me  off  then, 
not  left  me  time  to  think  it  over.  Now  I  am  no 
longer  willing." 

"You  will  go!     Yes  or  no.     Will  you  obey?" 

"I  will — for,  after  all,  I  love  you!" 

The  two  tragic  beings  were  silent  for  a  mo- 
ment, listening;  outside  the  church  the  uproar 


FANTOMAS  285 

grew  in  violence,  brief  orders  were  being  shouted, 
a  blowing  of  whistles.  Suddenly,  uttering  a 
hoarse  cry,  the  ruffian  exclaimed: 

"The  police!  The  police  are  on  the  track  of 
Fantomas!  Juve's  police.  Well,  this  time  Fan- 
tomas  will  be  too  much  for  them.  Lady  Bel- 
tham — till  we  meet  again." 

Beating  a  rapid  retreat  behind  a  pillar  of  the 
chapel  he  vanished.  Lady  Beltham  found  her- 
self alone  in  the  chapel.  Five  minutes  later  the 
heavy  steps  of  the  police  sounded  in  the  pas- 
sages. They  went  through  the  house,  searching 
for  clues,  then  disappeared  in  the  darkness  of  the 
night. 

Lady  Beltham  addressed  the  nuns: 

"A  great  peril  threatens  our  sisters  of  the 
Boulevard  Jourdan.  They  must  be  warned  at  all 
costs  and  at  once.  And  it  is  necessary  that  I, 
and  I  only,  should  go  to  warn  them.  Have  no 
fear.  No  harm  will  happen  to  me.  I  know  what 
I  am  doing." 

Under  the  appalled  eyes  of  the  sisterhood  the 
Mother  Superior  slowly  passed  from  the  assem- 
bled community  with  a  sweeping  gesture  of  fare- 
well. The  moment  she  was  alone,  she  ran  to 
the  far  end  of  the  garden  and  passed  through 
the  little  gate  in  the  wall  behind  the  chapel.  She 
was  gone! 


286  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

While  these  strange  occurrences  were  in  prog- 
ress at  the  peaceful  convent  of  Nogent,  and  the 
flight  of  Lady  Beltham  at  the  bidding  of  Fanto- 
mas  was  effected  under  the  eyes  of  the  sisters, 
no  little  stir  was  manifest  in  the  environs  of  La 
Chapelle,  in  the  dreaded  region  where  the  hooli- 
gans, forming  the  celebrated  gang  of  Cyphers, 
have  their  haunts. 

A  certain  misrule  reigned  in  the  confederation, 
due  to  the  fact  that  Loupart  had  not  been  seen 
for  some  time.  None  of  its  members  believed 
for  an  instant  the  newspaper  story  that  Loupart 
had  turned  out  to  be  Fantomas — the  elusive,  the 
superhuman,  the  improbable,  the  weird  Fanto- 
mas. This  was  beyond  them.  Good  enough  to 
stuff  the  numskull  of  the  law  with  such  a  tale,  but 
there  was  no  use  for  it  among  the  gang  of  Cy- 
phers. 

That  same  evening  there  was  considerable  ex- 
citement at  the  station  in  the  Rue  Stephenson. 
Detectives,  inspectors,  real  or  sham  hooligans, 
were  assembled  there. 

"Who  is  that  gentleman?" asked  M.  Rouquelet, 
the  Commissary  of  the  district,  pointing  to  a 
young  man  seated  in  a  corner  of  the  room,  tak- 
ing notes  on  a  pad. 

Juve,  to  whom  the  query  was  addressed, 
turned  his  head. 


FANTOMAS  287 

"Why,  it's  Fandor,  Jerome  Fandor,  my 
friend." 

Juve  was  seated  at  the  magistrate's  table,  com- 
paring papers,  documents,  and  material  evidence; 
he  had,  standing  round  him  men  in  uniform  or 
mufti.  One  might  have  thought  it  the  office  of 
a  general  staff  during  a  battle.  The  door  opened 
to  a  man  dressed  like  a  market  gardener. 

"Well,  Leon?"  asked  Juve. 

"M.  Inspector,  it  is  done.  We  have  nabbed 
the  'Cooper.'  " 

A  sergeant  of  the  I9th  Arrondissement  ap- 
peared and  saluted. 

"M.  Inspector,  my  men  are  bringing  in  'The 
Flirt.'  Her  throat  is  cut." 

"Is  her  murderer  taken?" 

"Not  yet — there  are  several  of  them — but  we 
know  them.  The  wounded  woman  was  able  to 
tell  us  their  names.  They  'bled'  her  because  they 
suspected  her  of  giving  us  information." 

M.  Rouquelet  telephoned  to  Lariboisiere  for 
an  ambulance,  and  the  officers  went  to  see  the 
victim,  who  was  lying  on  a  stretcher  in  the  hall. 
At  that  moment,  the  sound  of  a  struggle  hur- 
ried Juve  to  the  entrance  of  the  station.  Some 
officers  were  hauling  in  a  youth  with  a  pallid 
complexion  and  wicked  eyes.  Fandor  recognised 
the  captive. 


288  EXPLOITS    OF    JUVE 

"It's  that  little  collegian  who  bit  my  finger  the 
night  of  the  Marseilles  Express!" 

Leon,  who  had  drawn  near,  likewise  identified 
the  youth. 

"I  know  him,  that's  Mimile.  His  account  is 
settled,  he  is  jugged!" 

The  hall  of  the  station  filled  once  more:  an 
old  woman,  dragged  in  forcibly,  was  groaning 
and  bawling  at  the  top  of  her  voice: 

"Pack  of  swine!  Isn't  it  shameful  to  treat 
a  poor  woman  so!" 

"M.  Superintendent,"  explained  one  of  the 
men,  "we  caught  this  woman,  Mother  Toulouche 
— in  the  act  of  stowing  away  in  her  bodice  a 
bundle  of  bank  notes  just  passed  to  her  by  a 
man.  Here  they  are." 

The  constable  handed  the  packet  to  the  magis- 
trate, and  Fandor,  who  was  watching,  could  not 
repress  an  exclamation. 

"Oh  I — Notes  in  halves !  Suppose  they  belong 
to  M.  Martialle!  Allow  me,  M.  Rouquelet,  to 
look  at  the  numbers." 

"In  with  Mother  Toulouche !"  cried  the  Super- 
intendent, then  rubbing  his  hands  he  turned  to 
Juve  and  cried: 

"A  fine  haul,  M.  Inspector.  What  do  you 
think?" 

But  Juve  did  not  hear  him ;  he  had  drawn  Fan- 


FANTOMAS  289 

dor  into  a  corner  of  the  office  and  was  explain- 
ing: 

"I  have  done  no  more  at  present  than  have 
Lady  Beltham  shadowed,  but  I  do  not  mean  to 
arrest  her.  You  see,  if  I  asked  Fuselier  for  a 
warrant  against  Lady  Beltham,  a  person  legally 
dead  and  buried  more  than  two  months  ago,  that 
excellent  functionary  would  swallow  his  clerk, 
stool  and  all,  in  sheer  amazement." 

At  that  moment  a  cyclist  constable,  dripping 
with  sweat  and  quite  out  of  breath,  came  in  and 
hastening  straight  to  Juve,  cried: 

"I  come  from  Nogent !" 

"Well?" 

"Well,  M.  Inspector,  "they  saw  a  masked  man 
come  out  of  the  convent,  wrapped  in  a  big  cloak. 
They  gave  chase — he  fired  a  revolver  twice  and 
killed  two  officers." 

"Good  God!     It  was  certainly " 

"We  thought,  too — that  perhaps — after  all — it 
was — it  was  Fantomas  I" 

"Juve!"  called  the  Commissary.  "You  are 
wanted  on  the  telephone.  Neuilly  is  asking  for 
you." 

The  detective  picked  up  the  receiver. 

"Hello!  hello!  Is  that  you,  Michel?  Yes. 
What  is  it?  In  a  motor?  Oh,  you  have  taken 
the  driver.  But  he — curse  it!  Who  the  devil  is 


29o  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

this  man  who  always  escapes  us?  What?  He  is 
in  Lady  Beltham's  house !  You  have  surrounded 
the  house  ?  Good,  keep  your  eyes  open !  Do 
nothing  till  I  come." 

Juve  hung  up  the  receiver  and  turned  to  Fan- 
dor. 

"Fantomas  is  at  Lady  Beltham's;  shut  up  in 
the  house.  I  am  going  there." 

"I'll  go  with  you." 

As  the  two  men  left  the  station,  they  were  met 
by  Inspector  Grolle. 

"We  have  taken  The  Beard'  at  Daddy  Korn's," 
he  cried. 

"Confound  that!"  shouted  Juve,  as  he  jumped 
into  a  taxi  with  Fandor.  "Neuilly!  Boulevard 
Inkermann,  and  top  speed!" 


XXXIV 

FANTOMAS'    REVENGE 

"Phew!     Here  I  am!" 

Checking  his  headlong  course  at  the  top  of  the 
terrace  steps,  Fantomas  rapidly  entered  the  house, 
then  double-locked  himself  in.  The  ruffian  at 
once  inspected  the  fastenings  of  the  windows  and 
doors  on  the  ground  floor. 

The  monster  cocked  his  ear.  Three  calls  of 
the  horn  sounded  dolefully  in  the  silence  of  the 
night.  Fantomas  counted  them  anxiously  and 
then  exclaimed: 

"There !  That's  my  signal !  My  driver  is 
taken." 

A  slight  shudder  shook  the  sturdy  frame  of 
the  man.  He  went  up  to  the  first  floor  and  peered 
through  the  shutters.  He  caught  the  sound  of 
footsteps.  In  the  light  of  a  street  lamp  he  sud- 
denly descried  the  outline  of  his  driver.  The 
latter,  among  half  a  score  of  policemen,  was 

291 


292  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

walking,    head   bent,    with    his    hands    fettered. 

"Poor  fellow!"  he  murmured.  "Another  who 
has  to  pay !  Ah !  they  have  left  my  'sixty  horse' 
for  my  use  presently.  But  there  is  no  time  to 
lose,  I'll  bet  that  Juve,  flanked  by  his  everlasting 
journalist,  will  not  be  long  in  coming  here.  Very 
well !  Juve,  it  is  not  as  master  that  you  will  enter 
this  house,  but  as  a  doomed  man!" 

Fantomas  now  became  absorbed  in  a  strange 
task  which  claimed  all  his  attention.  On  the  floor 
of  the  dark  closet  where  all  the  electric  gear  of  the 
house  terminated,  the  bandit  laid  a  sort  of  oblong 
fusee  that  he  drew  from  his  capacious  cloak. 

He  fitted  to  the  end  of  this  fusee  two  electric 
wires  previously  freed  of  their  insulator;  then 
having  verified  the  tie  of  the  pulls  of  the  distribu- 
tion board,  he  hid  the  cartridge  under  a  little  lid 
of  wood.  Then  he  left  the  closet,  taking  care  to 
double-lock  the  door. 

"These  detectives,"  he  growled,  "are  about  to 
witness  the  finest  firework  display  imaginable  and, 
I  dare  say,  take  part  in  it,  too.  Dynamite  can 
transform  a  respectable  middle-class  house  into  a 
sparkling  bouquet  of  loose  stone  1" 

Such  was,  indeed,  the  fearful  reception  Fan- 
tomas held  in  reserve  for  his  opponents.  He  had 
made  everything  ready  to  blow  up  the  house  and 
escape  unhurt  himself. 


FANTOMAS  293 

If  Juve  and  Fandor  had  paid  more  attention  to 
the  piping  of  the  wires,  they  would  have  seen  that 
some  of  them  ran  outside  the  house  and  disap- 
peared below  ground,  reappearing  at  the  far  end 
of  the  property  in  an  old  deserted  woodshed. 

Fantomas  was  about  to  leave  the  house.  He 
was  already  stepping  onto  the  terrace  when,  sup- 
pressing an  oath,  he  wheeled  about  suddenly. 

As  Juve  and  Fandor  were  about  to  enter  the 
grounds,  Detective  Michel  rose  up  out  of  the 
dusk. 

"That  you,  sir?" 

"Well,"  replied  Juve,  "is  the  bird  in  the  nest?" 

"Yes,  sir,  and  the  cage  is  well  guarded,  I  as- 
sure you.  Fifteen  of  my  men  kept  a  strict  guard 
round  the  house." 

"Good.  Here  is  the  plan  of  action.  You, 
Sergeant,  will  enter  the  house  with  Inspector  Mi- 
chel, at  my  back.  The  men  will  continue  to  watch 
the  exit." 

Juve  broke  off  sharply.  He  saw  the  door  of 
the  house  open  a  little  way  and  Fantomas  appear, 
then  vanish  again  inside  the  house. 

"At  last!''  cried  Juve,  who  sprang  forward, 
followed  by  Fandor. 

"Slowly,  gentlemen!  We  have  now  victory  in 
sight,  we  mustn't  imperil  it  by  rashness.  You  re- 
main on  the  ground  floor.  Each  one  in  a  room, 


294  EXPLOITS    OF   JUVE 

and  don't  stir  without  good  reason.  I  am  going 
up." 

"I  am  going  with  you,"  exclaimed  Fandor. 

The  two  went  cautiously  up  the  stairs  to  the 
first  floor. 

"Fantomas!"  challenged  Juve,  halting  on  the 
landing,  "you  are  caught;  surrender!" 

But  the  detective's  voice  only  roused  distant 
echoes;  the  big  house  was  silent. 

"Now,  this  is  what  we  must  do,"  he  cautioned 
Fandor.  "Above  us  is  a  loft — we  will  search  it 
first;  if  it  is  empty,  we  will  close  it  again.  Then 
we  will  come  down  again,  taking  each  room  in 
turn  and  locking  it  after  us.  At  the  slightest 
sound  fling  yourself  on  the  ground  and  let  Fan- 
tomas fire  first;  the  flash  of  the  shot  will  tell  us 
where  it  comes  from." 

The  two  man-hunters  searched  the  loft  without 
success.  At  the  first  floor  Juve  repressed  a  slight 
tremor,  for  the  handle  of  the  door  leading  into 
Lady  Beltham's  room  creaked  ominously.  He 
opened  it,  springing  aside  quickly,  expecting  to 
be  fired  at.  The  room  was  empty,  no  trace  of 
Fantomas.  The  two  passed  into  another  room, 
then  as  soon  as  their  visitation  was  completed 
locked  up  the  apartment. 

Suddenly,  as  they  reached  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 
Juve  gave  a  violent  start.  From  the  door  of  the 


FANTOMAS  295 

drawing-room  a  shadow,  black  from  head  to  foot, 
came  bounding  out.  Quick  as  lightning  the  form 
crossed  the  ante-room,  then  plunged  by  a  low  en- 
trance into  the  cellarage. 

Two  shots  rang  out ! 

Fantomas  drew  behind  him  a  big  bar  and 
prided  himself  on  the  barrier  he  thus  put  between 
his  pursuers  and  himself.  But  despite  his  con- 
summate confidence,  he  was  beginning  to  feel  a 
certain  uneasiness,  an  undeniable  anxiety.  His  black 
mask  clung  to  his  temples,  drpping  with  sweat. 

He  crossed  the  basement  to  the  little  air-hole 
overlooking  the  garden. 

"That  is  a  way  of  escape,"  he  thought,  "un- 
less  " 

But,   baffled,   he  ceased  his  inspection. 

"Curse  it!  There  are  three  policemen  before 
that  exit." 

He  scraped  a  match  and  reviewed  the  place  in 
which  he  found  himself — which  for  that  matter 
he  knew  better  than  any  one. 

Facing  him  stood  the  dilapidated  stove  and  at 
his  feet  shimmered  the  cistern. 

All  at  once  Fantomas  clenched  his  fists.  Under 
the  increasing  blows  of  the  detective  and  his  men 
the  door  of  the  basement  yielded.  Above  the 
crash  of  the  boards  and  iron-work  Juve's  voice 
rang  out: 


296  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

"Fantomas !     Surrender !" 

Fantomas  groped  in  the  darkness.  His  hand 
came  on  a  bottle.  A  crackle  of  shattered  glass 
was  heard,  Fantomas  had  taken  the  bottle  by  the 
neck  and  broken  it  against  the  wall. 

Juve,  revolver  in  hand,  followed  by  Fandor, 
moved  cautiously  down  the  stairs  to  the  cellar: 
both  men  were  brave,  yet  they  felt  their  hearts 
beating  as  though  they  would  burst. 

Juve  reached  the  last  step.  He  pressed  the 
knob  of  his  electric  torch;  a  rush  of  light  lit  up 
the  little  room.  It  was  empty! 

Juve  went  the  round  of  the  cellar,  carefully 
inspecting  the  walls  and  sounding  them  with  the 
butt  of  his  revolver.  He  went  round  the  cistern. 
Its  surface  was  black  and  still.  A  broken  bottle, 
floating  head  downward,  remained  half  immersed, 
absolutely  motionless. 

Fandor  laid  his  hand  on  the  detective's  arm. 

"Did  you  hear;  some  one  breathed!" 

Beyond  doubt  some  one  had  breathed! 

"Idiots  that  we  are!  He  is  in  there,"  cried 
Juve,  pointing  to  the  pipe  of  the  great  stove. 

The  detective  caught  sight  in  a  corner  of  a 
number  of  bundles  of  straw. 

"That  is  what  we  want,  Fandor!  We  are  go- 
ing to  make  a  bonfire." 


FANTOMAS  297 

When  the  opening  of  the  furnace  was  fitted, 
Juve  set  a  light  to  it  and  the  flames  rose,  crack- 
ling, while  up  the  pipe  of  the  heater  rose  a  pun- 
gent smoke,  thick  and  black. 

"And  now  to  the  openings  of  the  stove!  Ser- 
geant! Michel!  This  way!" 

Through  the  apertures  in  the  ground-floor 
rooms  the  great  stove  was  beginning  to  smoke. 

A  broken  bottle  with  the  bottom  gone  was 
floating  head  downward  on  the  black  water  of  the 
tank.  Scarcely  had  Juve  and  Fandor  gone  than 
the  water  was  stirred,  and  slowly  the  mysterious 
bottle  rose  again  to  the  top.  Behind  it  rose  the 
head  of  Fantomas,  still  wrapped  in  the  black  hood 
which  now  clung  to  his  face  like  a  mask  moulded 
on  the  features. 

Dripping,  he  issued  from  the  tank  and  breathed 
hard  for  some  moments.  Despite  his  ingenious 
contrivance  for  feeding  his  lungs  he  was  not  far 
from  suffocating. 

"All  the  same,"  he  growled,  "if  I  hadn't  re- 
membered the  plan  of  the  Tonkingese  who  lie 
stretched  at  the  bottom  of  a  river  for  hours  at  a 
time,  breathing  through  hollow  reeds,  I  think  that 
time  we  should  have  exchanged  shots  to  some 
purpose !" 

Fantomas  was  wringing  out  his  garments  in 


298  EXPLOITS   OF   JUVE 

haste  when  loud  cries  sounded  above  his  head, 
and  two  or  three  shots  rang  out.  At  the  same 
time  a  sudden  stirring  took  place  in  and  around 
the  house.  He  turned  it  to  account  by  going  at 
once  to  the  air-hole.  Now  there  was  no  one  on 
guard,  so  Fantomas  put  his  head  through,  then 
his  shoulders. 

"That's  all  right;  the  brute  is  dead!" 

Juve  was  examining  curiously  the  creature 
which  lay  helpless  on  the  floor.  Two  trembling 
sergeants  stood  at  the  door  of  the  room. 

"We  were  expecting  Fantomas  to  appear  and 
a  snake  unrolls  itself  and  springs  in  our  faces!" 
cried  Fandor. 

Half  emerging  from  the  mouth  of  the  heater 
the  monstrous  body  of  a  boa  constrictor  lay  on 
the  floor.  The  men  Juve  had  brought  into  the 
house  were  resolute,  ripe  for  anything,  but  never 
did  they  imagine  that  Fantomas  could  assume 
such  an  unexpected  shape.  And  terrified,  over- 
whelmed with  dread,  they  recoiled  in  a  frenzy  of 
fear  and  fled,  calling  on  their  mates  outside,  who 
at  once  ran  to  their  assistance. 

"Sir!"     A  terrified  voice  called  from  outside. 

Juve  rushed  to  the  window.  A  dripping  crea- 
ture, clad  in  black  from  head  to  foot,  crossed  the 
garden,  running  toward  the  servants'  quarters. 


FANTOMAS  299 

It   was   Fantomas.      Juve   swore   a   great   oath : 
"There  he  is!     Getting  away!" 

The  detective  left  his  cry  unfinished. 

As  he  issued  by  the  air-holes,  Fantomas  leaped 
forward.  He  was  free ! 

"Juve  scored  the  first  game,  the  second  is 
mine,"  he  cried. 

He  reached  the  woodshed.  With  a  practised 
hand  he  turned  the  electric  tap  which  ignited  a 
spark  in  the  dark  closet  behind  the  pantry. 

"I  win  I"  shouted  Fantomas,  as  a  terrible  ex- 
plosion made  itself  heard. 

The  earth  shook,  a  huge  column  of  black 
smoke  rose  skywards,  explosion  followed  explo- 
sion. The  roar  of  falling  walls  was  mingled  with 
fearful  cries  and  dying  groans. 

Lady  Beltham's  villa  had  been  blown  up,  bury- 
ing under  its  ruins  the  hapless  men  who  in  their 
pursuit  of  Fantomas  had  ventured  too  near.  As- 
suredly this  arch-criminal  had  got  away  once 
more.  But  were  Juve  and  Fandor  among  the 
dead? 

THE  END 


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